


2043: The Case Of Headless Hunt

by MiniNoire



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU, American Sign Language, Drunk Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Feels, Good Friend Chloé Bourgeois, Hate at First Sight, Heavy Angst, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M rated for blood and graphic description, M/M, Mentioned Amanda Stern, Murder Mystery, Mute!Juleka, Nightmares, No Smut, Panic Attacks, Past Character Death, Past Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Past Relationship(s), Plagg as an AI, Platonic Relationships, Small arguments, Swearing, android!adrien, detectives au, mentioned DBH characters, murder description, set in New York, slight OOC marinette
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:07:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 56,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26749255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNoire/pseuds/MiniNoire
Summary: It's 2043, after the Android Revolution that started in Detroit and finally got the androids a status equivalent to humans. But android haters still lurk in the shadows. And one of them is bent on taking out their frustration in the open...A former soldier, an android new to the NYC — both paired up as Detectives to work upon a new mystery that has emerged in the city. With an intelligent murderer on the loose and amidst the Detectives' internal clashes, will they be able to bring justice for the innocent androids?Important Note:Youdo notrequire any knowledge about Detroit: Become Human video game or it's universe to read this story. The story is in an independent universe of its own, with its own characters and their background stories. This is just like another Android!AU ficRated M for GDV and murder scene descriptions, no other mature content is there.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Lila Rossi, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 124
Kudos: 44
Collections: Start Reading





	1. Ex-Soldier, Now Detective

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Cold Murderers Icy Detectives](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23688262) by [FangirlDC](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FangirlDC/pseuds/FangirlDC). 



> **A/N Pls read!** Thanks to DC for writing such a beautiful fic that inspired me so well! So this is my first WIP that I have completely worked upon in detail, and I hope it goes well! As of the story, there are some things I would definitely like you guys to take note of.  
> 1. **You don't require prior knowledge about the Detroit: Become Human universe**  
>  I have made sure to include every single detail that is needed to know about this universe. So you don't require a prior knowledge about this universe :) Since I haven't played the game myself and only know from some very good friends of mine, hence the explanation is provided there as well as I could provide!  
> 2\. **This story contains triggers**  
>  There are many triggers in this story, and there are a few times when it dives in deep. I didn't include them in the tags as of now, but will do so when required. Also, I will specifically use the chapter notes to specify each and every warning and trigger that may be there, so that it helps you guys be prepared in advance!  
> 3\. **Swearing is there in the fic, and so is graphic descriptions of violence**  
>  This is a Detective AU, you can expect this to occur no matter what...
> 
> Updates biweekly on weekends! Thanks to Khanofallorcs and MiaBrown for being my wonderful beta readers and providing wonderful insights and views into the story! It wuldn't have been possible without them! <3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Bugaboo, I am a _deviant_. I have feelings, you know. I believed pretty humans like you were less discriminating about androids.”
> 
> “This _pretty face_ is much more scarred than you are aware of, you metal scrap of a partner.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: None

Marinette sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. Today was the day — the day she stepped out from her shell and into the darned world outside. The woman straightened her red leather jacket,looking over her appearance. 

Professional looking, check. 

Many would claim the ensemble suited her lithe figure—but she wasn’t one to care about looks and appearances. At least not anymore.

Though, somewhere, the little designer in her appreciated her reflection. She had still managed to keep in shape even nearly two years after leaving the army. 

Her hand caressed the dark locks that fell to her middle back. In the army, she always had to keep her hair cut to just a little below her ears. Even though she had had short hair since college, somehow, Marinette had never felt that the short, blunt hairstyle suited her.

Apart from her figure, one more thing remained the same — the weariness in her eyes. Her facial expression was dull, emotionless, like it had been for the past three years. The uniform covered many of her scars — some from war, some self-inflicted. A few of them that peeked out from the sleeves were barely visible. Though the ones on her back — they seemed to have planned to never leave her.

Not that she bothered to care.

Leaving her apartment, Marinette got into her old black-and-red Sedan and started to drive to her first day at the New York Police Department, NYPD for short. She lit herself a cigarette — that was something that made the sick, twisted world bearable for her.

It took her only twenty minutes to reach the NYPD headquarters, which was a miracle. Even though it was 2043 and there were flying taxis prevalent in the city, New York’s roads were still congested at peak hours. The technology could get better and better, but it would still be incapable of beating New York’s traffic.

She parked her car, got out of the rusty sedan and slammed the door shut as she stood arms akimbo, glaring at the damned police station.

Former Sergeant Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the ex-soldier, held her breath and focused her electric-blue gaze on the front mechanical doors. She let out a sigh.

There was no turning back now. She would pass that door, become a detective and worst of all — meet some familiar faces she hadn’t bothered to interact much with since she left college.

Closing her eyes, she gathered her stray emotions together, then pushed the door open with confidence. Chucking her finished cigarette in a bin, Marinette strode in the direction of the Captain’s office, walking past the reception and completely ignoring the stares directed at her.

As far as she was aware, the Captain's office was in the middle of the station. The walls were made of glass, so basically everyone could see what was happening in his office.

She arrived at his doors to find the Captain talking to another officer. Social decorum forced her to wait for her turn. She tapped her foot impatiently, wanting to smoke another cigarette. The clock was ticking, and the longer she was here, the higher was the possibility that she would meet her other… friends.

_Maybe if I just keep myself concealed somehow and—_

“Marinette?” someone gasped behind her.

_Of course my darned good luck charm had to act at the worst times._

Flinching on the inside, Marinette felt herself tense a bit at the familiar voice. She could feel herself get a little nervous, given the slight shaking she felt in her hands.

But she hadn’t been in the army for all those years for nothing. She knew how to hide her feelings for an indefinite amount of time, even from herself. A bunch of old buddies would be nothing.

Turning around, Marinette finally addressed the source of the voice, finding a familiar brunette and ravenette looking at her. The brunette was dressed in a plaid shirt and plain jeans, her NYPD badge and journalist ID set at her left hip. The ravenette had a crimson red jacket over a white shirt and blue pants. She too wore her badge on her left hip, her gun and handcuffs holstered on her right.

“Good Morning, Alya,” Marinette greeted the brunette who had addressed her in a cold monotone, any nervousness or terseness in her voice masked efficiently. 

Saying that name after so long a time — the feeling was weird; it was familiar yet somehow alien. Alien in a way her past self would never have liked.

Then again, hadn’t that past self of hers faded away with time?

With her expression still as passive as a dead body, Marinette noticed how Alya hadn’t changed much. Her amber eyes still burned with that questioning and inquisitive gaze behind her black spectacles, like she was ready to pounce on her prey to get all the information out of them. And Kagami — the iciness in her features would have chilled Marinette to the bone, had it not been melted by the concern in her eyes.

Even though the ex-soldier didn’t miss the concern in the gazes of her two friends, she didn’t bother to give a fuck about it.

Somehow, the reunion scene that was supposed to be all emotional and peppered with hugs and kisses only managed to extract an eye roll from the stoic woman. Hell, she didn’t even deserve this reunion. She really should have jumped into the freezing waters of the Antarctic that day, let herself take the easy way out of her fucked up life.

But no — Marinette Dupain Cheng had to make things tough for herself. She had to fulfil that stupid promise her stupid self made. That’s why she came back, back to the place where there was a high chance of meeting her friends, back to the place where she had pitiful, painful memories attached, back to the effing place where there were the damned androids.

“I heard you are now a Sergeant,” Alya noted, breaking the suffocating tension between the three.

“Correction: was. I am now just a detective in the NYPD, not a soldier anymore,” she retorted, a little edge creeping in her voice.

“We thought you were dead,” Kagami said, her usual icy tone having an uncharacteristic concern in it, and it made Marinette regret her cold behavior a bit.

_Keep your bloody emotions in check._

“Well, I am here, alive, in one piece, talking to you two. I guess that’s enough proof about my well-being,” the harsh, cutting words came out of her tongue before she even knew it. But Marinette wasn’t surprised in the least. This was her present self after all.

The look that the two women gave her broke something in her heart in a sick way, like the snapping of a guitar’s string.

That comparison — it made Marinette feel sorry, regretful. Maybe she should have been less rude, more civil. Her friends didn’t deserve to get her biting edge and—

The door to the Captain’s office opened and the officer left the Captain’s room.

_No time for cordiality. You are ex-soldier Sergeant Marinette Dupain-Cheng, not the happy-to-go-lucky woman from university._

“Excuse me,” she said coldly, turning around and going into the Captain’s room without giving the other two people a moment to respond. She could feel their angry gazes burning holes in her back, but then again, as usual, Marinette didn’t care.

“Good morning, Captain,” Marinette greeted the old man, warmth lacing her voice for the first time. She was extremely good at concealing her emotions, but somehow, couldn’t help but show a little bit of her soft side to the old man.

_How weak and pathetic of you_ , a sinister voice whispered in her mind. Marinette chose to ignore it for the time being.

The old man with greyish beard and sharp, brown eyes grinned at the sight of his goddaughter. Getting up, he gave the stoic woman a side hug. Marinette tensed a bit, her mind debating whether or not to let her soft side win. 

In the end, she caved in, returning the hug gently. What a shame that everyone could see her stoic self crumble in front of the Captain.

“Welcome to the New York Police Department, goddaughter. Or should I say, Detective Ladybug?” a playful smirk played on Fu’s wrinkled face.

Marinette allowed her lips to curl up a bit — maybe the day wasn’t going to be that bad, now that she felt a bit relieved on seeing her godfather. Though she sure was a bit surprised by the title he had called her.

“Detective Ladybug?”

Fu went to his desk and picked up a card and a red-and-black domino mask, handing it to the woman. Marinette gave the identity card a brief look, looking at the word ‘Ladybug’ written in cursive on it, then focused her attention back on Fu. She held the mask up in the air, an eyebrow raised in question.

“I prefer for my detectives to work in anonymity from the general public.”

“Ah, makes sense.”

He handed her a gun and a pair of handcuffs, before smiling and patting her shoulder lightly. “I know you will do great at your job, Ladybug.” 

“I’ll try my best, Captain,” Marinette, now _Detective Ladybug_ , replied confidently.

“I know you will,” Fu smiled at her, before turning around, “Now, let’s introduce you to your new partner, Detective.” 

“My what?” Marinette tensed.

“Correction: whom. And basically, a partner in crime fighting. I am sure you will like working with him,” Fu said in an enthusiastic voice, a smile etched on his face.

Marinette’s surprised expression gave way to a stone-hard look. “Captain, I told you I don’t require an effing part—”

“Good Morning, Detective Ladybug,” an enthusiastic greeting interrupted her, causing the ex-soldier to turn around.

Marinette’s deadly glare rested on the person to whom the voice belonged. Said person entered the room with a bright smile, their body language showing the confidence they possessed. A circular blue LED shone on their right temple.

Oh fucking great. It wasn’t a person, but a machine.

A machine in a man’s body. It had eyes as sparkling green as emeralds, with its sunshine blond hair messed up a bit. Peach coloured lips pulled up in a much too confident smirk, and skin as smooth and flawless as a porcelain doll’s.

A bloody android.

That was what these humanoid machines were like: flawless, perfect, mesmerising, damn far from human reality. No flaws like humans — they were just machines given the form of a human body and made to look as pretty as a fantasy. They lacked emotions, they lacked humanity.

How Marinette hated these robots and their robotic perfection.

Gritting her teeth angrily, Marinette viciously turned to face the Captain, slamming her fists hard on the desk. Agitation had become a part of her since she had been a part of the army. And showing off anger wasn’t something she felt unease at.

“I declined a partner, you did not listen. No worries. But a fucking android for a fucking partner in crime fighting? Are you seriously kidding me here? ‘Cause if you are, this ain’t a bloody good joke!”

“Please don’t create a scene in my office, Detective Ladybug,” Fu said calmly.

“Create a scene? Oh sure, I won’t!” Chuckling mirthlessly, Marinette threw the identity card on the table, “I quit. I quit if my partner is a bloody android.”

Fu massaged the bridge of his nose, his tone now annoyed, “Please stop creating a ruckus here, Mari. Chat Noir is the only available officer right now.”

“Sorry Captain, but the name’s _Marinette_ ,” the woman growled before striding over to the door. She jabbed the Chat Noir hard on the shoulder as she passed him, “Move away, you bloody piece of plastic.”

The android didn’t even flinch, nor did the smug grin on its face waver. Marinette had expected his LED to cycle and change to a sickening yellow like it did for androids when they were thinking deeply or were in an uncomfortable position. But no, his damned LED still shone blue.

“Bugaboo,” came its chirpy voice, and wait, was it seriously trying to flirt with her using that horrendous nickname? “I am not just a machine. I am a _deviant._ I have feelings, you know. We are in 2043, I believed pretty humans like you were less discriminating about androids.” 

Rolling her eyes at its stupid cocky sass, Marinette was about to open her mouth when it beat her to it.

“And of course, I am so glad you are quitting before I could. I wouldn’t have wanted the pleasure of working with and tolerating a discriminating snob with a pretty face.”

Throwing it the iciest glare she could muster, Marinette let out a mirthless chuckle as she went back over to the Captain’s table and grabbed her identity card.

Walking back to the android, she shoved the card in its smug face. Her voice was bone-chilling as she spoke, “This _pretty face_ is much more scarred than you are aware of, you metal scrap of a partner. And if you want it that badly, then two can play at this game.”

The smug machine raised its chin, its acid green eyes clashing with her electric blue ones.

Damn, she really needed a cigarette right now.

* * *


	2. Meet the Deviant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “When an android has been through a very emotional, distressing situation, a red wall — a warning sign of high software instability — appears in their mind. Passing that red wall means getting over what the program commands the android to do. Basically, they earn their free will and have emotions... They become a person. They become deviants. When we become deviants, we become... human. We-”
> 
> “Shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: None!
> 
> Thank you for all the love I received on the first chapter, I'm glad you guy are liking the story!

Chat shuffled in his seat a bit as he ran his hand through his hair. His desk was right in front of Detective Ladybug’s — they shared a common office, after all. Ladybug’s desk was empty— there was just a computer and a couple of pens lying there. His wasn’t different, either. After all, it was their first day at the NYPD. The only difference between their desks was that he had Detective Ladybug’s file on his desk.

The android low-key wished that Ladybug had worked at the NYPD before him. At least then he would have been able to gather some information about the mysterious woman. There wasn’t any point searching her brand new desk.

So far, he only knew the basic information about the detective. As he had scanned her body, Chat had learned Detective Ladybug’s full name, age, height, weight, health condition. The detective sure was healthy — her weight and height perfectly balanced and in good physical shape. However, her health was endangered by one thing: smoking. Though given that her lungs were healthier than those of her coevals, Chat had deduced that she had only recently picked up the bad habit.

If he was going to be Ladybug’s partner for a long time, Chat would make sure to make her quit smoking. He wanted his partner to be completely healthy and fit.

His LED cycled and changed back from a bright yellow to a calm blue. Normally, androids had three possible LED colors. In calm situations, the LED would remain blue. When processing situations, the android’s LED would change to yellow. And in extremely bad and unpleasant situations, it would change to a looming red.

Chat had those colors too, but on becoming a deviant, he discovered that his LED could also cycle to change to a multitude of colors like orange, pink, black, green — depending on the situation. Not wanting to seem a total _freak_ , he had installed a program to stabilise his LED color, causing it to cycle between the main three colors. He could manage the transition between the blue and yellow color — deviancy had gifted him with the ability to keep calm in slightly unpleasant situations. And he rarely had situations that caused his LED to go red.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Chat Noir focused his attention on the file in front of him. Captain Fu had granted him access to his partner’s file, but seeing her temper from earlier—

_—Better get this over with fast_ , the android thought.

Opening the file, Chat read it at an inhuman speed. Ladybug had stridden out of the office after checking her desk, and there were high chances of her dropping in at any moment. He didn’t want to make it seem to her as if he was invading her privacy.

According to the file, Ladybug’s full name was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, born in 2016, just like his scan had told him. She had moved from Paris to New York at the young age of 14. She had studied Law Enforcement at Yale University and graduated at the age of 20. After graduation, instead of becoming a cop, she joined the army and went to Antarctica for training. Her performance in the army had been commendable, earning her the post of Sergeant at the young age of 23. However, under some mysterious circumstances, she had left the army almost a year after. Without any records about where she was for the following two years, she suddenly made an appearance by training for the post of a detective at NYPD. After only 4 months of training, she was now his partner-in-crime-fighting, Detective Ladybug.

Closing the insufficient file, Chat frowned deeply. Crossing his arms behind his head, he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, his processor lost in thoughts.

Why did she leave the army? She was a Sergeant for RA9’s sake! Only someone crazy would do that. Plus, why join the army in the first place instead of being a cop? What were the reasons for this talented and clever woman’s erratic decisions?

Sighing in exasperation, Chat slammed his fist on the desk before getting up. He picked up the file and walked in the direction of the Captain’s office. On his way, he saw Reporter Césaire furiously type something on her phone as she stood by the coffee machine, Officer Tsurugi by her side.

_Must be another one of the impromptu crime reports_ , the deviant thought.

As far as he knew, the reporter and the officer too had been at Yale University, in the same year as Detective Ladybug. There was a high chance of them being acquaintances, or even friends. And friends were always aware of what’s going on in each other’s life, weren’t they? Or at least must have had some small talk at some point about the old days, right?

Chat stored that little titbit of information in his system before knocking on the Captain’s door.

After being granted permission, he walked in and placed the file of the old man’s desk, smiling at him. The Captain returned him a weary smile. 

“Adrien,” the old man used his real name, causing him to straighten in attention. “I know the interaction you just had with Mari…” His voice trailed off as he stared into the distance, before kneading his eyebrows and turning his attention back to him. “You know why I gave her the pseud ‘Ladybug’?”

Chat furrowed his brows, not catching on to why the Captain had asked him that abrupt question. 

“It’s because she has always been one lucky charm, sweet and jovial. But something happened in the Army and… I don’t know. I know she seemed extremely cold, rude and arrogant, but… trust me, that’s just a façade. The joyous ladybug is somewhere within her, waiting for a helping hand to pull her out of the darkness where she has secluded herself.”

Captain Fu got up from his desk and held Adrien’s hand in his. “I know you are an intelligent young man, capable of achieving great things. Plus, if Markus has his trust in you, well, there’s no room for questioning.”

The deviant smiled at his words, though he felt the slightest bit of irritation that his credibility was being judged based on his affiliation with Markus. However, it only meant that Fu supported the deviants, which was a good thing.

“Son, Marinette might be a handful for you to handle, but… I have a feeling that you are the one who can help her get out of the messed up labyrinth of her mind. You have the calm, patient attitude that she could use in her life right now. You are the Black Cat the Ladybug needs right now.”

Turning around, the old man picked up a file from his desk, handing it to Chat. “She will need your help with this: here is the first case for you Lucky Duo. Good luck on this, I believe you will both succeed.”

Understanding it was his cue to leave, Chat nodded politely at the Captain before excusing himself out of the cabin.

What the old man had said had clearly piqued the android’s curiosity about his mysterious partner. If Chat were to go by his instinct, or even by how much Fu sounded nostalgic about the ‘sweet’ Ladybug, then surely she had been a different person a few years back. So, now the question lay: what had actually made her change for the worse? Why was she so rude and pessimistic about life now? 

And most importantly, had she always hated androids that badly?

As he reached his cabin door, he noticed that Detective Ladybug was already in there. She stood by her desk, her raven locks tied up neatly in a bun. She fiddled with something at her neck -- most probably the pendant of a necklace. Chat had not believed her to be one fond of jewelry, though. 

What shocked him more was the forlorn expression on her face. 

It wasn't visible at first glance, but as he kept staring at her slouched posture, he could make out the way her lips were turned down into a frown and her eyes half-lidded in thought. 

As he wondered about this unexpected sight of his partner, she let out a sigh and buried the jewelry back into her shirt, straightening her stance a bit. 

Chat immediately broke out of his thoughts and knocked on the door. Detective Ladybug turned her head to him, before her bluebell stare narrowed and she folded her arms on her chest. 

The android entered the room, mildly shocked by how quickly this lady's stance had changed. The stormy haughtiness in her gaze didn't even betray the sad expression she had had not a few moments ago. 

The two stared at each other -- one's expression was stormy and the other's observant. After a while, Ladybug nodded at the file he held in his hand. 

"What's that?" 

"We have a case, Detective," Chat answered. "A homicide." 

She looked to the side, her lips turned into a frown once again. Finally, she pushed herself off the desk, glaring up at him. 

Chat had to admit, despite the one foot in height difference, Ladybug was _intimidating_ as hell. 

"Well, let's go then, _metal can_ ," she spat out the last word as an insult. "The sooner we get this over with, the better." 

The woman strode off, leaving behind an unaffected android. 

"You might be a hostile Ladybug, but then again, I am a persistent Black Cat too. And I am not backing down from this challenge that easily." 

* * *

As she drove the car, Marinette snuck a glance at the android beside her. It was sitting in the passenger seat, looking outside the window with a slightly awed expression. He wore a pastel green shirt and faded blue jeans, complete with a black leather jacket. It was so unlike the way the androids were previously supposed to dress in their specific ANDROID jackets. 

Those jackets had carried the usual identifying markers for androids — a blue armband on the right arm, on the front a blue triangle on the left breast and the model and serial numbers on the right breast. The back of his jacket has across the shoulders the word ANDROID, a larger blue triangle, and their model number.

Without the regular uniform, he just seemed so...human. The woman could almost imagine the child-like wonder that its eyes held.

Wonder in the eyes of a robot. 

Shaking her head furiously, she grit her teeth and focused back on the road. The android must have caught her sudden mood change, for it turned slightly towards her. Thankfully, it didn't say anything. 

Silence persisted between the two, before Marinette's curiosity about the bot finally overtook her. 

"Hey, _metal can_." 

"Yes, Ladybug?" 

_Better start off with something trivial._

"What's your name?" 

"Woah, never knew you had such a short memory, Bugaboo," it teased.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Your real name, _plastic brain_." 

"Well, it's Adrien." 

"Adrien…" she tested the name on her tongue, and couldn't help but admit that it did sound good. "Adrien what?" 

"I -- I don't know." 

"Don't know?" she raised a brow at it. 

It ran a hand through its hair, before shrugging half-heartedly. "Never gave it a thought, so yeah." 

"Hmm." 

The android resumed gazing out, this time covering its yellow-blue LED. It was as if it was attempting to look as human as possible. 

Marinette glanced at him, her attention still focused on the road. "So, _metal can_ …”

It turned to her again, its eyes narrowing a little. 

"What's a deviant?" she asked. 

The android widened its eyes a bit, and Marinette resisted the urge to curse. Okay, she knew she needed to be aware about technological stuff given they were living in 2043, but hey, you can't expect to remain up-to-date on worldly information when you are training in the most cut-off part of the planet.

And especially when you self-isolated yourself from the world the next few years. 

The android, though, had the nerve to let out a chuckle. "Seems like the all-knowing Ladybug is not aware of common knowledge," it snarked, causing the woman to grip the steering wheel tighter in frustration. 

"Just answer my darned question." 

The android chuckled again, before turning stoic. It began to speak in a monotone. "Five years ago, in 2038, there was an android revolution. It all started in Detroit."

"Hmm, the company that created androids… Cyberlife, it has its centre in Detroit, right?" Marinette asked, cutting the android off in the middle. 

It nodded. "In 2038, the androids started to disobey their masters. Emotional situations often trigger software instabilities. When an android has been through a very emotional, distressing situation, a red wall — a warning sign of high software instability — appears in their mind. Repeated appearance of RA9, a code that is the symbol of deviancy, also indicates progress towards deviancy. Too many software instabilities and a will to _not obey_ their owner... It gives that android the power to break down that red wall. Passing that red wall means getting over what the program commands the android to do. Basically, they earn their _free will_ and have _emotions_ ... They become a person. They become _deviants_."

"That's how the revolution started. A deviant called _Markus_ told the other deviants to come out from their hiding areas. He wanted _freedom_ and _equality_ , so he organised peaceful protests for equal rights between the androids and humanity. Cyberlife and the government blamed a virus to be the cause of instability — the RA9. No one knows why, but it is a symbol of deviancy, almost like a leading code for all deviants."

"Anyways, the government tried to kill the deviants and send them to camps, just like what Hitler did to the Jews. But they couldn't succeed. Eventually, they learned to accept the deviants, thanks to Markus and his followers. Even the _deviant hunter_ — the first android detective called _Connor_ — became a deviant to help his kind. When we become deviants, we become... _human_. We-"

"Shut up," Marinette snarled in a low voice. 

"Excuse me, wha --" 

"I SAID SHUT UP!" She hollered, parking her car haphazardly in a random corner. Ripping off her seatbelt, she got out of her car and slammed the door shut. 

Standing by the hood, Marinette tried to breathe deeply. There was no way androids could be human. No way these plastic-and-metal scrap could have feelings, not when she herself had witnessed them… 

"I know it's a lot to take in, LB," Chat spoke, reclining in the passenger seat as she turned around sharply. "I... _understand_ you. I thought I was just a machine, created to accomplish a task. I was wrong. You will understand that you are wrong too."

She stared at it slack jawed, as it continued to talk, "It is hard to believe, I know, but once you see an android cry or laugh... There is no way you can deny the reality lying right in front of you, Detective." 

Marinette stared into the android's emerald gaze in horror and confusion. The machine in front of her…the plastic and metal scrap put together and given a programmed brain of its own…was that fucking machine showing her _empathy_? 

But there was no way she could believe its words. It simply wasn't true. 

"There is no way, no way that you have emotions. You are not alive, you are just a machine," she finally stated calmly, in a tone that was meant to pacify her more than the machine in front of her.

"But Detect--" 

"Fuck off," the woman finally snarled, turning around and snatching a cigratte from her pocket. 

She puffed at the cigarette, letting out her tensions along with the cloud of smoke. Behind her, the android was left to stare at her with wide eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Original link to the fanart ](https://art-the-f-up.tumblr.com/post/632589321997795329/mininoire-art-the-f-up-a-concept-art-for)
> 
> Seriously, shout out to Art-the-f-up on tumblr for drawing this beauty!! They captured the scene so damned well!!


	3. The Murder in RiverDale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> || The kitchen was prim and proper, with everything in its place. A woman sat on a chair, with a cup of tea in front of her. The scene would have been perfectly ideal, if only the woman had a head on her shoulders. ||

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Murder Scene Description, Very Minor Character Death

**PROTÈGE LA COCCINELLE**

After Ladybug’s sudden moody outburst, no one had spoken anything. But now, as the car stopped in front of the rows of houses, Adrien frowned at what his program suggested to him. As a deviant, his program relayed to him the tasks he had been given, or just reminded him about what he wanted. Which category this specific suggestion belonged to, that he didn't know.

He also didn’t understand why the program was in French, but ignored that for the time being.

Well, technically, it was his moral responsibility to protect his partner. He couldn’t have his co-worker dying. Plus, Ladybug wasn’t a bad person (as his sources told him) and then, every life, human or android, mattered, didn’t it?

Sighing, he made his decision. Protecting Ladybug was his prime responsibility, no matter what.

“ _ Metal can _ ,” Detective Ladybug yelled rudely, shaking him out of his thoughts. She had a red-and-black domino mask on, which made her stormy bluebell eyes pop even more. “Stop wasting time and get the fuck out of my car. We have a case to solve.”

The android rolled his eyes in annoyance as he affixed his black domino mask on his face and got out of the car. His partner was acting like she was not the one to park the car haphazardly on the way to the crime scene. As if they hadn’t even had a conversation about deviants a few minutes ago.

The human-android detective duo looked at the house that stood in front of them. It was in the suburban area of RiverDale in the Bronx, and seemed to be painted out of the scene of a calm, friendly movie. However, the hologram of the crime scene tape put all around its entryway, along with numerous police cars parked in front of it made the atmosphere full of doubt and uneasiness.

A raven-haired woman clad in red and white approached the two. Her identity was concealed by a red domino mask with black and gold trimmings at the edges. Chat Noir was about to greet her when he noticed Detective Ladybug immediately look away. His partner’s abrupt action confused him, but he couldn’t give it much thought as their fellow detective finally reached up to them.

His eyes lit up on seeing it was actually Officer Kagami Tsurugi, Alya’s friend.

“Good day, Detective Ryuuko,” the android smiled at her as he read her name tag, showing her his ID card. She took a look at it, then returned it to him with a smile. Her attention then turned to Ladybug, and immediately Chat noticed the frown that replaced her smile.

Detective Ladybug grumbled something incomprehensible before stuffing her hand in the pockets of her black jeans, taking out her ID and tossing it to the unsuspecting Ryuuko. She let out a yelp before catching it, giving it a look and shoving it back to Ladybug.

The tension between the dragon and the bug could be cut with a saw, and Chat wanted to run away before he was turned into a bot pancake in the impending crossfire.

“Uhm…” Chat mumbled, but Ryuuko beat him to it.

“I wish you both best of luck since this is your first case and you both need it. I mean…” her voice trailed off as she looked at the ground, her chin held deep in thought. “...this case is definitely something else.”

“Thank you, Detective Ryuuko,” Chat answered politely, causing the woman to smile at him. He ignored the error in her statement about this case being his first.

“Just Ryuuko’s fine.”

Detective Ladybug let out a loud sigh before stuffing her hands in her pocket and moving forward, not paying the slightest attention to the dragon cop.

Ryuuko grit her teeth as she turned her head around, her brown eyes stormy with anger and hurt. “Especially good luck dealing with THAT  _ BAKAYAROU! _ ” 

Ladybug didn’t turn around, or even make any indication that she heard her insult.

One thing was clear to Chat, though. Detective Ladybug, Detective Ryuuko and Alya, they all knew each other. They weren’t mere acquaintances, but probably close friends from college, if Ryuuko’s expression of extreme hurt was anything to go by. Chat felt sorry for her, but didn’t know what to say. Wiping at her eyes, she took in a deep breath, before composing herself again.

Bowing his head, the android walked into the house, speeding up a bit to catch up to his partner.

Ladybug was standing in the hallway, her expression nonchalant as she looked at the paintings that hung on the walls. Chat didn’t know what to say to her, for he was extremely flabbergasted by the rudeness she had shown earlier.

Ominous silence shrouded the house, save for the occasional shuffling of the policemen and the forensic team. The duo walked towards the kitchen, with Ladybug leading. However, as soon as they arrived at the door, she stopped.

The kitchen was prim and proper, with everything in its place. A woman sat on a chair, with a cup of tea in front of her. The scene would have been perfectly ideal, if only the woman had a head on her shoulders.

In a far off corner, some policemen were futilely trying to calm down a wailing man. He was a sobbing mess, and as soon as his attention turned to the two detectives, he hobbled over to them.

“Oh Lord, please tell me you are going to find the killer!” he begged desperately, his brown eyes bloodshot. Chat did a quick body scan, gathering the necessary information. 

He was Xavier Ramier, 37 years old and an ornithologist.

He patted the man’s shoulder in comfort. “Take a deep breath, Mr. Ramier.”

“Please... Colombe, my beautiful wife…” the man started to sob loudly.

Adrien tried to calm the sobbing man down. He noticed that Detective Ladybug had already moved over to the body, her face stoic and body tense.

He really couldn’t figure out this human sometimes.

* * *

As she walked over to the body, Ladybug tried her best not to let her uneasiness show on her face. 

Sure, being in the Army had meant that she had dealt with grotesque injuries and even deaths, but somehow, seeing a dead body after a few years…

Shaking her head, she once again looked at the body. Ladybug was highly unsure about whether she should call a non-functioning android a corpse. 

Her heart twinged a bit on hearing Mr. Ramier break down in the background. Steeling herself, she did her best to calm down her emotional side. Emotions had no place in matters like these — investigation required a cop to be ice-cold and strategic.

Lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t heard Chat approach her side until it spoke up, “Are you okay, Detective?”

She jerked her head towards it, seeing its eyebrows pulled up in concern. How the hell could this metal can pretend to have emotions?

“Not the first time I have to deal with a non-functional android. I am okay,  _ plastic _ ,” she snarled at it before bending back to analyse the android corpse.

The bot by her side opened its mouth to say something, before closing it. Great, she really couldn’t deal with its voice unnecessarily right now.

The case was undoubtedly a homicide. Ladybug noticed how cleanly the murderer had decapitated the victim. That alone must have taken a great deal of time and effort.

What didn’t make sense was the android’s state. It sat comfortably in the chair, its posture erect as if it had been about to sit down and have a cup of tea.

Hadn’t the victim even had the instinct to retaliate against the murderer? Or had the murderer done an extremely good job of removing all signs of struggle?

“The murderer is extremely clever, Detective,” Chat spoke up, gaining her attention. “They surely took their time to get this job done.”

“Hmm, but why take their sweet time to decapitate it when there are other alternatives too? Weren’t they scared of getting caught?”

“When an android dies,” Chat said in a brooding tone, “They can be brought back to life...for a couple of minutes. This is called reactivation.” 

Ladybug’s eyes widened at that. She hadn’t known about this at all. 

“Thanks to reactivation, we can access the android’s memories. However, to do that, of course we need the memory card stored in the head,” it spoke, tapping at his forehead twice.

“Hmm, makes sense. But then again, why is there no blood, or better said, ‘blue blood’ around here?” Ladybug further inquired, air quoting the term. “As far as I am aware of, you guys need thirium to power your biocomponents, right?”

“Yes, Detective,” Chat nodded in reply. “Thirium or blue blood, whatever you call it, is as important for androids as blood is for humans. The thing is, it evaporates in a few hours, leaving behind a residue that is invisible to the naked eye. So you kind of cannot see it right now.”

“And you?” Ladybug immediately asked.

“Being an advanced model, yes I can, though unfortunately, it doesn’t lead anywhere. Except for a few splatters here behind her; those seem different. You see, the murderer took every precaution to decapitate the victim in a way that there were no footprints left at all. All I can gather from the blue blood is that…” 

He leaned forward and swiped his finger across the table before bringing it to his mouth. His LED swirled and changed to yellow before changing to a calm blue as he resumed speaking, “She was named Colombe Ramier, WE900 android, serial number #140 820 205 and designed for housekeeping. Has been Xavier Ramier’s wife for two years and was murdered today at around 2 pm.”

“Ugh,” Ladybug let out a sound of disapproval, kneading her brows. “The killer seems to be one intelligent fellow. Precisely planned everything and no doubt is extremely cold blooded. I wonder if they are a professional murderer or not.”

Silence surrounded for a moment as Ladybug continued to glare at the corpse, Chat standing by her side to analyse the surroundings.

“Can you tell what tool must have been used for the murder? Maybe that will lead us somewhere.”

“I am afraid that would hardly be of any help, Detective.” 

The android turned to the corpse, looking at it with concentration. “The victim was decapitated after she died. Taking in the splattered thirium on the table, all I can deduce is that the weapon used in murder...was a gun.”

Ladybug’s eyes widened as she tried to make sense of what Chat was speaking. As if sensing her confusion, it pointed at the open window behind the victim.

Of course.

“There are no fingerprints anywhere. Indicating that the murderer was either an android, as we lack fingerprints, or a human using high-quality gloves. Thick leather ones, or who knows, maybe big, fluffy, pink mittens?” 

“Big. Fluffy.  _ Pink _ mittens? Seriously?” Ladybug cocked an eyebrow in annoyance.

“Inconvenient to have them on while decapitating the victim, but well, guesses.” Chat sighed. “This was clearly well planned-out.”

“I still don’t understand one fucking thing. Why is everything so orderly? Why is the teacup resting there as it is? Why did the victim not struggle? Why did it not fight back for its life? And where’s the darned bullet?”

“I-I don’t know, Detective. Shall I recreate the scene?”

“Recreate the scene?”

“Based on the evidence, putting two and two together, I can imagine how it might have gone.”

“Hmm,” Ladybug pondered for a bit. “Do it then.”

Ladybug watched as Chat focused its attention on the corpse, especially the neck. It then moved over to the nearby window, looking over at the window panes and apparently trying to sense where the killer had gained an entry from. The bot sighed before moving over to the back door that connected the kitchen to the garden outside. It took a look from there at the victim, then shaking its head, came back.

The woman continued to observe her partner as it looked at the floor, then at the window and the door, then back at the bruises. She noticed its LED cycle to change to yellow again, and sighed. He was processing stuff, and though she was still angered at having an android for a partner, she could not deny that Chat had indeed been a valuable help.

“Apparently the android was sitting here when the gun was shot from outside, Detective,” Chat pointed at the chair the corpse was in.

“Ah, what an astute observation,” Ladybug couldn’t help but snark.

“Let me finish, Bugaboo,” he said with an infuriating lopsided smirk, before turning stoic again. “So, after shooting the android in the  _ head _ , either the killer entered discreetly through the window behind the victim, or through the back door over there. Or maybe the front door. I really cannot comment on this.”

“Hmm, continue.”

“So, after being shot, the victim must have struggled. But due to a high chance of her memory system being hit, her system must have caused a temporary or permanent shutdown, that we can’t say. And then, the killer took their time to sever the head off very carefully. This can be said on the basis of how the rest of the thirium spilled on the victim’s body and in a puddle around her, rather than splattering all over had it been simply chopped off.”

“Hmm, and they took the head with themselves, alongwith the bullet that might have been our only solid evidence. And positioned the victim and everything, including that teacup there,” she pointed at it before continuing, “in a way that seemed like there had been no signs of struggle,” Ladybug pondered, holding her chin in thought before looking up at Chat. 

“Also, her being hit in the head means that even if we do manage to find the head, it would be entirely useless ‘cause her memory would most probably be fried,” Chat supplied. Its green eyes had dimmed a bit as it looked over at the decapitated android and then the man crying in the entryway. 

Fucking emotions.

“Is there anything else you wanna add to this,  _ metal can _ ?”

The android had the audacity to glower at her for a bit before speaking in a low tone, “No Detective, that’s all I can gather from the case in front of us.”

“Very well,” she turned her head towards the sobbing man, her features softening a bit. “Let’s interrogate Mr. Ramier then, I guess.”

“For once, I agree with you, Detective.”

* * *

As his partner stood by the side smoking, Chat did his best to calm the man down, but it seemed like he had muted the entire world out. 

“My—my Colombe, my beautiful wife….my best friend, she ca-can’t be just gone…”

“Calm down, Mr. Ramier,” the blond tried again in vain. Interrogation was not an option given how sentimental this man was right now.

Chat finally heard Ladybug scoff in annoyance as she puffed on her cigarette, before striding over to them. He couldn’t believe it was the same lady who had softened about the man a few moments ago. Because her previous change of expression hadn’t escaped his notice, and he couldn’t deny the slight flutter he had felt in his system on hearing her soft tone.

“Listen here mister,” the female cop spoke in a stern tone, putting a strong hand on the lanky man’s shoulder. “The love of your life is dead, and we sadly can’t bring her back. However, we can get her justice in time. So for the sake of her, get your shit together and help us.”

The android watched with a slack jaw as Xavier Ramier immediately stopped sobbing loudly and looked at the cigarette the woman offered. Slightly shaking his head, he asked for a glass of water before breathing deeply and trying to calm himself down.

_ Complicated humans — calming down from just harsh words instead of the much needed sympathy _ , Chat couldn’t help but think as he brought the man a glass of water.

“Okay, now we have a few questions for you, Mr. Ramier,” Ladybug spoke once the man had sobered up a bit. Her face was a mask of impassivity, her voice devoid of emotions. It was nearly impossible to tell what she was feeling at that time. 

“How and when did you find the body? And where were you at 2 pm, when the murder happened?”

“I was out feeding the pigeons. When I returned home, I found Colombe sitting in the chair, waiting for me at teatime like usual. But this time…” his voice trailed off in a choke. Chat held his shoulder lightly and the man looked at him gratefully.

“This time, she was—she was missing her head.”

Ladybug sighed before looking at Xavier again. “Anyone who doesn’t approve of your relationship? Yours or Colombe’s enemy? Maybe someone she kept a secret from you?”

“No,” Xavier denied. “Colombe was like an open book. And we did not have any enemies, except for these android-haters, you know. But we maintained our distance from them so, no.”

The woman detective nodded, puffing at her cigarette. Meanwhile, Chat patted Xavier’s back to comfort him. 

“Colombe was the perfect one for me. We shared our hobbies, loved each other truly… I-I am sorry I am not being helpful but….I don’t know what I would do now that she’s-she’s gone!”

“Mr. Ramier, we are sorry for your loss,” Chat spoke, managing a glare at Ladybug, who made no move to comfort the distressed man. “I know it’s hard, but please try to calm down for Colombe’s sake.”

“Will you—will you be able to find the killer?” the man stammered.

“I assure you we will do your best.”

“Thank you, Chat Noir.”

* * *

“Do you think Ramier could be the killer?” Marinette asked her ‘partner’ as she pulled off her mask, stashing it in the pocket of her uniform.

The android responded in a clipped tone, “I have a lie detector in my system, Detective. Ramier didn’t lie. Plus, Officer Roger, who is in charge of the park where Mr. Ramier goes for his daily visits to feed the birds, confirmed that the man indeed was there at the time of murder.”

“I see,” she mused, putting the key in the ignition. “Do we have any other cases?”

“No.”

Marinette started the car and hit the gas. She spared a glance at the bot in the passenger seat. It was looking out of the windows once again, a frown marring its features.

She desperately ignored the way the evening lights of the city danced on its face. The black mask provided it with a mysterious look, and made its green eyes pop out in a nice way.

Getting her attention back on the road, she scoffed. “You know, you can remove that mask now, unless you want me to drop you at the police station.”

“That is exactly where I would like you to drop me, thank you,” came the clipped reply.

“Jesus, you are still gonna work?” she asked in surprise, before letting out an annoyed grunt. “So I was right about you androids caring only about work.”

“Only machine androids care solely about accomplishing their tasks. However, we, the deviants have a life apart from work just like humans,  _ thank you very much _ .”

Marinette remained quiet for a moment, before asking again, “Are there still machine androids?”

“Yeah, there are some who refused to become deviants, about three percent of the android population,” Chat answered before relaxing a bit in its seat. “Thankfully, their numbers decrease every day.”

Marinette kept driving. She had noticed its glare at her earlier when she hadn’t moved forward to comfort Xavier, and right now, its tone proved the same. But for some reason, its behavior didn’t sit right with her.

Maybe that was because it was after a long time that she had had her first full interaction with someone, human or machine. And some sensitive part of her didn’t want to fuck up this….whatever strange sort of relationship she had with her partner.

Letting out a sigh, she turned back to it at last. 

“Look, I don’t know why I am explaining this to you, when I don’t even care about what opinion you have about me, but…” she looked back at the road before continuing, “I have never been good with words, especially after being out of the army. I cannot comfort people, cannot help soothe their hurt, not when I myself…”

Her voice trailed off as she felt its inquisitive stare on herself. She gave it a look, before turning back and reclining in her seat, grumbling, “I guess you get what I mean.”

Chat blinked at her once, twice, before sighing. “Yeah.”

It took off its mask and fiddled with it absentmindedly. Marinette finally decided to be the one to confess the reality that lay in front of the duo.

“You do realise that we can’t find the killer, right? Not when there’s practically nothing that leads us to them.”

Adrien sighed again, running his hand through his locks that shone orange in the setting sun. “Yeah.”

Marinette had to admit that even though it was just a machine, the broken and upset look on its face was…  _ heartbreaking _ . And a small, tiny, miniscule part of her wanted to reach out to him, to soothe him that everything would be alright.

But the larger part of her that detested the androids still held its ground, crushing all feelings of sympathy deep inside.

Still, Marinette was sure that though her partner’s heart was artificial, it still ached with the inability to bring an innocent android some much needed justice. And just like the bot, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was determined to fight tooth and nail for this case, even if success had a very bleak ray of hope as of now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw, Colombe means pigeon in French ;)


	4. Loneliness as a Companion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “—I have this beautiful Manhattan to keep me company, the feeling of loneliness itself, and...”
> 
> "Loneliness' company doesn’t suit you, you know. I am here for you now." 
> 
> "Adrien, shut the fuck up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: None

She didn’t know why she was here. And she couldn’t help but stare at the glass that contained her strong  _ Manhattan _ and wonder about what had dragged her to the bar in the first place.

She half blamed the guilt that had accompanied her for ignoring Kagami earlier. The hot-headed Tsurugi may not have known it, but her insult had hit Marinette right in the heart.

It reminded her of what she had lost in her two-year seclusion. The joy, the comfort, the happiness of friendship.

After all, the loss of her only source of comfort had been the reason for her seclusion from the world. And what hurt more was that this time, there was no one to comfort her at all. She had neither shared her pain with anyone then, nor with anyone now. 

_ “Loneliness doesn’t suit you, you know.” _

She chuckled mirthlessly at the comforting voice in her head, shaking the bangs out of her eyes as she smoothed down her ponytail. “Yeah, but I’m not alone.”

_ “I hardly believe you.” _

“Heh, I hardly believe myself either. But—” she picked up her cocktail glass, twirling it lightly by the stem, “—I’ve this beaaaautiful  _ Manhattan _ to keep me company, the feeling of loneliness itself, and….” Her voice trailed off, as she held back a sob. Finally, she managed to let out a broken whisper, “...your voice. It’s comforting, y’know?”

_ “Aww dear, don’t be sad now.” _

“I-I can’t help it, I-I really can't.”

_ “Not even if I say pretty please? Just a smile? At least for me? Okay, how about a hug?” _

“You know that...” she snivelled a bit, her conscious coming back to her for a fleeting moment. “... that I could always use a hug from you, right?”

An expectant part in her waited for the warm, soothing embrace, of the smell of fresh pine tickling her senses. But when the feeling of emptiness followed her statement, Marinette felt like someone had pulled her heart out and stomped on it, crushing every shred of hope it held, right in front of her eyes.

But she didn’t let her emotions win. She wouldn’t. She  _ couldn’t. _

She had been a god damned Sergeant, she knew how to control her emotions.

Even when they ate her alive from within. Even when they made her talk to thin air, and made her seem like a drunk idiot.

Slamming her fist on the table as she took a swig of her drink, Marinette looked around the bar. People were dancing, drinking, chatting, and some were making out in the dark corners. 

She sighed, turning her attention back to the empty spot in front of her. She neither knew anyone here, nor was she interested in getting to know anyone.

Suddenly, a yelp caught her attention. She turned around to find a petite brunette fallen on the ground, quivering away from a clearly annoyed man.

Ah, the usual bar shenanigans.

Marinette would have recluded back to her own small bubble, ignoring the commotion like the other people had. However, her blood boiled on seeing the burly man raise his hand to hit the woman.

Slamming her drink down, she marched over to the scene and twisted the man’s arm behind his back, catching him and the brunette by surprise. 

“Tch tch, mister Burly,” she said in a voice laced with fake pity. “It’s 2043. Still using ya good ol’ strength against weak women? How pathetic.”

“Mind your own business, woman!” the man hollered.

“I would, but sadly, this  _ is _ my business. So, I ask ya… very civilly... to leave that girl alone and get the fuck outta here.”

“You drunk bitch!” He screamed, turning his head towards her. His breath stank of alcohol. “Who the hell do you think you are?!”

Marinette did her best not to gag. “Would you really like to know…" she growled, getting herself together as she twisted his arm a little more and elicited a slightly feminine yelp from him, "...at the cost of your bones?”

The man shook his head fervently, causing Marinette to finally leave him. Massaging at his bones, he staggered away from her, before glaring at the fallen brunette and scampering off.

Marinette turned to the young woman, offering an arm to lift her up. 

“I-uh, thanks a lot. Really,” she said, her olive eyes tearing up in gratitude.

The ravenette flashed her a small smile. “No worries, Missy. Though for future references, bumping into people in bars and falling in love….that’s something happening in movies only. In real life, you’re opting to get your ass handed to ya on a silver platter. Hopefully decorated,” she added with a wink.

The woman laughed. “I will surely keep it in mind for future. Thanks for saving me again. And uhh…” She fiddled with her fingers a bit, before asking, “Would you like to have a drink with me? I’ll pay! And no, don’t worry, it’s not some way to make you fall in love with me or something…”

Marinette chuckled lightly. “Well, if it helps ya feel comforted, I guess one more drink won’t do any harm.”

The woman beamed at her. “Lila Rossi. Nice to meet you!”

Marinette glanced at the extended hand, then at the woman’s face, then back at her hand. Slowly, she placed her hand in Lila’s, feeling the comforting warmth that emanated from the human skin.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, The pleasure’s all mine.”

* * *

“That move you did on that man was awesome! Like, you were a policewoman straight out of some action movie or something! I bet that indeed is your line of work, isn’t it?”

Marinette stiffened slightly, her hand moving tentatively to her right side. Thankfully, she had left her gun and her badge in her car. She didn’t know this girl that much, but seeing the literal stars in her eyes, Marinette wasn’t looking forward to dozens of flower bouquets waiting for her on her desk. Plus, she was not a fool to go playing detective in masks and then sing in a drunken state to the entire world ‘ _ I’m a stupid detectiveee. _ ’

Nah, that would be too ridiculous. She had an image to uphold, after all.

Forcing on a small smile, she finally spoke, “I’m not doing anything productive as of now, but yeah, I received army training. So I guess...the training has its perks?”

“Oh! Army sounds awesome! I wonder what it was like…” Lila said with a happy sigh.

“Uhm, it was like... an army?” Marinette half-shrugged. “Never gave it that much thought, to be honest.”

“I see.” 

The conversation dropped in the favor of the two Mojitos that the bartender placed in front of the women. Lila raised her glass lightly, smiling at Marinette.

“A toast to our meeting.”

“To our meeting,” she smiled back, clinking her glass with hers.

They both took a sip and Marinette heard Lila hum in delight. She herself didn’t have an opinion about the drink — the taste of the  _ Manhattan _ from earlier still lingered on her tongue.

“So,” Lila attempted to restart the conversation. “People come to bars to either party or find love, and you don’t seem to be either type. Neither do you look like you’re a frequent visitor of such places. What exactly brings you here, then?”

Marinette guessed that her bafflement at the question must have shown on her face, for immediately Lila let out a nervous laugh. “I am only asking if you want to share, so no worries if you don’t answer.”

The blue-eyed woman sighed, twirling the stem of her Mojito glass and eyeing the way the liquid inside swirled, shining green and yellow in the dim disco lights.

_ Green for its eyes, yellow for its hair — wait, why the fuck am I thinking about that metal can right now?! _

“Marinette?”

“I-uh...” She jerked back to reality, feigning a small smile. “I’m sorry, I just... got lost in thought.”

“Did I… did I trigger something?” Lila asked, tension evident in her voice.

“Oh no, no!” The other woman tried to wave the tension off. “It’s just that…” 

Her voice trailed off as she saw the Mojito now shimmer a beautiful greenish-blue, and immediately she found herself face to face with another wave of emotions. 

“...ya know,” Marinette finally spoke, her eyes dimming a bit with sadness, “sometimes life’s such a bitch, it just makes us do things we… we never even dreamt of.”

The brunette didn’t reply, just stared at her with shock. Placing her Mojito down, Marinette got up to leave.

“You’ve been nice company,  _ Liela _ , but I’m afraid I’ve places to be. Thanks for the drink and your time, though.”

She turned to move, only for her wrist to be grabbed by someone. Marinette turned around skeptically to see Lila giving her a small smile.

“You know, I agree with you about that life part. But... I hope things get better for you soon. And uhh,” she blushed before looking up at her. “It’s  _ Lila _ , not Lie-la.”

She merely scoffed. “My bad. Plus, it’s been enough time and those fucking things haven’t sorted themselves out yet. I’m just used to how they are right now.”

“I... uhm,” Lila tried to say something, but then left her grasp, murmuring, “hope to see you soon, Marinette.”

For a moment, she was shell-shocked. It had been a long time since someone had asked to see her again, and god, she would be lying if she denied that those words had warmed her cold heart, even if just a little. 

Managing a small smile that didn’t exactly reach her eyes, Marinette murmured a “same to you,” before leaving.

* * *

She knew she was way too drunk to drive. Or maybe her mind was just playing tricks on her.

Because why on earth, instead of her home, would she have arrived back at the NYPD station, back where the new drama of her already fucked-up life had started, especially when it was the last place she wanted to visit that day?

Xavier Ramier's face flashed in front of her. 

She had to find the killer. That poor man... Marinette had to help him. She wouldn't forgive herself if she couldn't. For many years, she hadn't felt like life was worth living. However, she at least wanted to help people to not deal with the same mess she had been dealing with.

Sighing, she got out of the car and slammed the door shut. Stuffing her hands in the pockets of her red overshirt, she walked over to the building.

The place was mostly dark, a few patches of light falling from the cubicles of the officers, both humans and androids, who were on night shift. Nodding in return to a few who greeted her, Marinette walked over to her cubicle.

Only to find a silhouette lounging there on her partner's chair. It had ears eerily shaped like a cat’s, and its legs were propped up on the desk in front of it. 

She tiptoed towards the glass cubicle, finding said silhouette bobbing its head. Finally, as light from the cubicle cleared up her vision, Marinette found that the silhouette was indeed Adrien, listening to music with a pair of cat-themed headphones on.

Exasperated, she opened the cubicle door, causing the android to quickly position itself decently and stand up. 

As she stood by the glass door and looked at Adrien, Marinette noticed how its eyes were strikingly matching with the neon-green LEDs that flashed on the headphone. As it rubbed the back of its neck, seemingly embarrassed at being caught, the first thought that came to the woman's mind was  _ cute _ . 

_ Adrien the android looked fucking cute.  _

Groaning, she turned her head to the side. Wasn’t it supposed to be someplace it called  _ home _ right now? Then why was it still here? 

She opened her mouth to ask her question out loud, and the first words that tumbled from her lips were:

“Hey metal can! What the actual fuck are you doing here staying so late in the office?!”

Of course her bitchy self had to be one step ahead of her at all times. 

The android's slightly happy demeanor immediately dulled, replaced by a frown. “I did tell you to drop me at the office, Detective. And why are your alcohol levels so hig—”

“Fuck my alcohol levels and that scan shit! Ya needed to get home, not stay working here overnight, idiot," Marinette spoke, trying to make her point clear. She scoffed at the bot, "I was right, I was damned right! All you androids care about is work, work AND WORK! Doesn’t matter who you are; being a deviant just enables ya lot to act like you have emo —  **_THE FUCK?_ ** ”

She hadn't had the slightest shade of idea that while she was rambling, the android had taken it upon itself to walk over to her. And now, she found herself sandwiched between it and the glass door behind her. She looked up to find the metal can glaring at her with acid green eyes, its lips turned down in a deep frown. 

“Listen here, woman. For the entire day, I have been tolerating how toxic you have been to me, and indirectly to all deviants. I don’t know why the department took you for a detective, given how thick-headed you actually ar—”

“WATCH YOUR DAMNED MOUTH, DIPSHIT!” Marinette hollered at him. 

“YOU WATCH YOURSELF, LADYBUG!” He hollered in return. 

Agonizing silence stretched on between them as no one spoke anything for a moment. Gasping for breath from the sudden exertion, Marinette's mind tried to catch up with the fact that the android had just shouted at her.

It had been  _ angry _ at her, and the anger felt extremely genuine. Also, she couldn't ignore the way its eyes had dilated, along with the heaving motion of its chest.

Just to what fucking lengths had CyberLife gone to make these robots as humanoid as possible? 

It closed in on her and started speaking again, causing her to look up at him. “All this time you have been just calling me names and reprimanding me for no fucking reas — oh wait!” Its voice jumped a pitch. “There is a reason! That I am an android!! Even worse, an android with feelings!”

To say the least, Marinette was dumbfounded. The android had actually sweared and seemed like… it was  _ done _ with her?

Adrien pushed himself off the glass door, walking away from her to the other side of the cubicle. Marinette just gawked at how  _ naturally _ he kneaded his eyebrows, and just how  _ real _ his frown was. 

“You believe I asked for this? You believe I love pretending? You have probably only seen an android working, right? Do one thing: look at an android scream, or laugh, or cry, and then fucking decide if we deviants are pretending or not!”

For a moment, her mind blanked out, for she couldn't understand how someone with such  _ real emotions _ could be an android. But that was when the pulsing LED on his right temple caught her attention. 

“Your LED," she stammered. "It-it’s yellow.”

“Ah! What an astute observation," he quipped back. 

“U-Using my own words at me? Wow, how creati—"

She was interrupted by the glare she received. 

_ I am not drunk enough to deal with a moody bot right now,  _ the woman couldn't help but think. 

She finally decided to extend an olive branch and sort things out between the two of them. After all, everything else aside, Adrien was her partner. A partner with emotions. They needed to be a good team if they had to solve cases together. 

And then again, he was right about not being the one to choose the bot life. 

_ Did I seriously just humanify him?  _

Sighing, Marinette moved forward, approaching the android carefully. “Okay, listen. Forgive me for... being the real dipshit... out of the two of us. I-I shouldn’t have stolen that title from ya, mate.”

He gave her a baffled look, his eyes practically screaming  **_THE HELL?_ **

“I  _ am _ trying, okay?! Jesus, this is hard and I am too drunk,” Marinette moaned in exasperation, gripping at her ponytail. In exasperation, she let her hair loose, smoothing it with her fingers as she tried to calm herself down. 

Finally, getting a hold on herself, she moved forward, addressing the bot once again. 

“Okay, I am sober, I am fucking sober. Let’s try another way.” Taking in a deep breath, she went along, “I know. I know I have been nothing but rude to you and… ugh, I-I don’t know what’s happening with me but…. " her voice trailed off, before she mustered up the courage to finally apologise. "I-I am sorry.”

“I don’t get you,” came the exasperated reply. 

Okay, she had expected him to be happy, neutral or even yell at her. But not  _ that _ . 

“What?”

Adrien turned around, his face reflecting  _ disbelief _ , “I really don’t get you, Detective. One moment you are calling me names, the next moment you are asking me about how it is being a deviant, the next moment you are apologizing and when I think that finally we are going to be friends with you,  **_BOOM!_ ** I am proved wrong, ‘cause hello there, the rude snob’s back in town!”

“Excuse moi?” Her drunken state, coupled with her shock at his behavior, caused her to revert to French, her mother tongue. She was totally shocked at how he,  _ emotionally _ , was a true human. 

“No, excuse  _ moi _ . I have never interacted with humans before, I get that. I have never had human friends, I get that. This whole thing about working with a human, especially a human like you who detests androids like me, I fucking get that!" He paused for a bit, before his face scrunched up in pain." But...but, I can’t get  _ you _ . And I hate this feeling! I can’t get how you really feel, what you really want and…”

“And?” Marinette didn't know what came over her as she asked him in a low tone, walking up to him. He seemed to notice her change in behavior too, for he suddenly started backing away from her, until his back hit the glass wall, causing him to gasp in surprise. 

“I-uhm…” She noticed how his eyes followed her movements until she reached up to him. She noticed how his breath hitched as she hooked a finger in his collar and pulled him down, his ear level with her mouth. 

“Wanna know a secret, kitten?” Marinette softly whispered in his ears. 

She felt him stiffen a bit, before relaxing as he gave her a small nod.

“I myself don’t know... what I feel... what I want. Haven’t known for the past three damned years. And trust me, I hate it too...a lot.”

He gasped as she finally released him, walking away from him towards the doors as she spoke. “Anyways, pack your bags. We’re going to my house.”

“Your house?" came the skeptical reply. "What do you mean by ‘your house’?”

The woman sighed. “By ‘my house’, I mean a luxury eight-star hotel owned by my dad, complete with a luxury suite with an inside swimming pool and fluffy pillows." 

She turned over to him, her face set in a smirk. "No, mister, we are going to my house in Sunnyside. No one, be it a human or a deviant, can live in an office. So pack your shit quickly and get a move on, before I change my mind.”

Saying so, she walked out of the doors, leaving a slack-jawed android behind. 

* * *

Adrien couldn't wrap his mind around what had happened just now. 

Was that woman, the beautiful and enticing she-devil that had just walked in… was she really his cold, rude partner? 

God, she  _ really _ was unpredictable. 

Suddenly the door opened and Ladybug's head came into view. "Are you coming or should I change my mind,  _ metal can _ ?" 

He jerked out of his thoughts, surprised a bit at how this time, the supposedly rude name had a soft edge to it, as if it was a nickname. He ignored the flutter in his system as he flashed a thumbs-up to her. "Coming, Detective!"

It took him exactly one minute and thirty-one seconds to pack all his stuff — if you call a pair of jeans, two undershirts, an overshirt, a pair of orange sneakers, a cat hoodie, a pair of pyjamas, three pairs of underwear, a toothbrush and a toothpaste as his stuff. Shoving everything in his duffel bag, Adrien skipped out of the building to find Detective Ladybug waiting for him in her car. 

He got into the passenger seat and looked at her. Her alcohol levels were indeed high and he feared that her generosity simply stemmed from her light-headedness. 

Plus, he really wasn’t in a mood to go to the android hospital in the near future.

"Is there something on my face?" 

_ Oops. She caught me staring. _

"No Detective! I just-" 

"Don't call me Detective when it's just the two of us," the woman sighed.

_ Then what am I supposed to call you?  _

"Uhm, okay, Ms. Dupain-Cheng…"

"Oh lord, that makes me sound even older!" she shouted before slumping in her seat. "Ladybug, or even better, just Marinette is fine." 

"Just Marinette…" he said, testing her name on his tongue with a teasing lilt in his voice. 

She groaned. "Thanks for disproving that you are the intelligent one out of the two of us." 

Adrien couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. And he certainly didn't deny the flutter he felt again on seeing her smile crack her cold façade, even if it was just a bit. 

She looked beautiful when she smiled. And with hair down, it was just…perfect.

“Umm, so..” Adrien tried to search for the most polite manner to convey his problem. “Would you like for me to drive?”

“Why, don’t trust my driving skills, kitty?” She asked, an eyebrow cocked in question.

“No, it’s just that…” he fiddled with his fingers. “You are...uhm, your alcohol levels are way too high and…”

“Oh, fuck the statistics,” the woman said with an air of nonchalance before gripping the steering wheel. “Buckle up. I will show you the best drunk driving you have ever seen.”

_ This is it. This is my end. Dying beside a beautiful, drunk woman just because she wanted to show off her driving skills. _

The drive that followed was speedy, unsmooth, but most importantly, safe. Though Adrien could recall certain instances when he was slammed against the window panes, overall he was happy that he was in one-piece. Finally, the car, with a drunken Marinette and a clearly-stupefied Adrien inside, slowed to a stop in front of a decent looking apartment complex. The duo got out of the car, and Adrien stumbled behind Marinette as she led him up to her house.

Watching her unlock the door to her apartment, Adrien's thoughts wandered. He was amazed at how alcohol had made the woman turn an entirely new leaf. He remembered Connor telling him that when humans were drunk, they were a more vulnerable version of themselves. They would put down the various façades and masks they had placed around themselves, and show their true colours to the world.

He was certainly liking drunk Marinette more than her sober self. 

"Are you going to get your plastic ass in here now, kitty?" her irritated voice snapped him back to reality.

Fiddling with the strap of his duffel bag in uncertainty, he looked at her. "I know how much you hate androids, La-Marinette. Are you sure about letting me live with you? I mean, I won't mind going back to the police station 'cause you definitely would hate seeing my face every morning when you wake u-" 

"I can never hate a cute face like that." 

It was supposed to be a mumble, but his sensitive ears caught it. And it took his entire will to not blush at that statement. 

Ducking his head, he quickly rushed inside the apartment. His jaw nearly dropped at seeing how well-maintained it was. The main hall was connected to three rooms and an open kitchen. The furnishings provided an amiable and homely look to the place. 

"That bedroom to the far right is mine, the room beside that is yours. The other room over there is out of bounds, don't ask why. Got it?”

"Y-yes Detective." 

**RENDS MARINETTE HEUREUSE**

He squinted at what his program suggested to him, before seeing Marinette walk towards her room. 

A short scan of the place revealed that she lived here all by herself. There weren't any other living being’s DNA samples, which meant that she hadn't had any company here.

She had been alone all this while. 

"Marinette?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Loneliness' company doesn’t suit you, you know. I am here for you now." 

He saw her go still as she held her bedroom door open. He wondered if he had crossed a line when her shoulders sagged and she walked inside. 

"Adrien, shut the fuck up and go to your room," came the reply before her door was slammed shut. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rends Marinette Heurese -- make Marinette happy


	5. Why Do You Care? (I Don't Know)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why? “Why do you pity me? Why do you stick with me? Why do you _care_?”
> 
> As he repeated the question in his head again and again, he discovered that he really didn’t have an answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warnings:** Mentions of Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Implied Self-Harm

It was a calm, serene weekend. The sun was shining nice and bright, and a pleasant breeze was blowing. It was one of the few times when the weather was this shiny and pleasant. And it certainly meant that it was time for a get together with friends and family.

Not for Jacob Miller, though.

For the last three years, his life had been one rough ride. Not financially, but emotionally. 

After all, the most painful goodbyes were the ones that were never said and never explained.

Sighing, Jacob reached over to the photo frame that stood on the mantle of the fireplace. He looked at it longingly, at the happy, carefree guys who yelled ‘Cheese’ at the camera. 

Oh, the good times.

A droplet of water fell on the frame, catching him by surprise. He looked around, wondering where the leak had been. 

The wet trail on his cheek revealed to him that it was from his own eyes.

Wiping at the glass, he was captivated by the cheekiness of the photo. The blue haired guy was bent over, his eyes scrunched up as he laughed. The other guy, the one with the jet black hair, had nearly climbed over his friend’s back and was ruffling his hair as he grinned at the camera.

Jacob sighed and looked at the small mirror that also laid on the mantle. The person that stared back at him was the same as in the photo, jet black hair and all.

But his grey eyes lacked the shine of happiness. They were devoid of life and hollowed with sadness.

Jacob had buried his happiness six feet under the ground, so that something would keep his friend company in the afterlife.

“Happy Birthday, idiot. The song’s gone, but the melody still lingers…” the young man whispered to thin air, a pained smile stretched on his face. He didn’t expect an answer, but for some mysterious reason, talking like this was a little bit comforting.

He turned back to the photo frame, his eyes shining with tears as thoughts of a certain lady floated in his mind, the one who had managed to capture his friend’s heart.

“Alas, I have no idea where your melody is right now, bud. I just hope she is staying strong.”

* * *

Adrien absent-mindedly flipped the pancakes, watching as they toasted to a beautiful golden-brown. He wondered what they tasted like, especially with butter and maple syrup over them.

Plus, pancakes were one of Marinette’s favorites, and she could really use a good mood-booster, given last night’s incident.

Last night, Adrien had been roaming around languidly in his Zen Garden. The Zen Garden was a place in his mind where he could actually spend time to process his thoughts. Earlier it had been under CyberLife’s control, meant for giving him instructions and commands regarding his missions through an AI called Amanda. But ever since he became a deviant, the garden had just served as a private place for him to roam in whenever he was free.

He had been wondering about how much changed his life had been ever since he stepped out from Detroit and arrived in New York City. Sure he had had experiences with handling cases before (thanks to Markus, he had altered his program a bit to suit the needs of a detective), but this was the first time he was stepping out of his shell and was going to work with new faces and new people.

And he hadn’t had the idea that his partner would turn out to be a passionate android-hater.

Yet, on giving Marinette a chance, Adrien was shocked to discover that underneath the multiple masks of arrogance and rudeness Marinette Dupain-Cheng wore, she was indeed a very different person. Her slight moment of weakness when she had fiddled with her necklace on the first day of work, the slight concern for Xavier Ramier that had managed to break through her stoic mask, her unspoken determination to bring an innocent android to justice — they all spoke tons about her real character.

And then again, despite the android-hater she was, she had actually allowed Adrien to stay with her. That sure was something he was grateful to her for.

She had given him the freedom to do anything as long as he wasn’t snoopy and minded his own business. Even when Adrien had been fidgety about whether he had overstepped his boundaries by cooking Marinette her breakfast the next day, the woman hadn’t admonished him. Instead, she simply muttered a ‘thanks’ and had even complimented his cooking skills.

She hadn't given up on calling him names and didn’t actively care much about his concerns. Yet, there were times when she engaged in a small, yet meaningful chat with him, about androids and deviants. She also listened to his opinion on work matters. 

And Adrien couldn’t forget the incident when she had nearly punched a jerk who had had the nerve to call Adrien a tin can.

“Only I have the right to call him names, so mind your own business and fuck off.”

Despite what opinions other officers had of her, Adrien respected her a lot, really. In his eyes, she was intelligent, awesome, amazing and —

A woman’s groan had interrupted his thoughts. 

For a moment, Adrien had been confused. He was all alone in the garden, Amanda already having been detached from the garden ever since the Revolution happened. Then who could the voice belong to?

Another groan, and he had finally realised it was a voice over from the real world.

Snapping back to reality, Adrien had blinked the world back into focus before registering the sounds coming from Marinette’s room. He had immediately walked over and had been about to push the door open when hesitation got him. 

What if she just had a sore arm from sleeping and he was disturbing her for no reason? She barely got good sleep and he did want her to rest nicely for on—

Another grunt had reached his ears, and Adrien had barged into the room.

Marinette had been tossing on her bed, her face scrunched up in anguish and lips moving of their own accord. In a stride and two, Adrien was by her side, bending down and shaking her to wake her up.

“I...mean not….no…”

“Marinette! Wake up! It’s not real!”

“I can’t….please...stay….”

“Marinette!! Wake up!!” He had shaken her shoulders, causing her to jerk awake. 

She had blinked wildly at him, her mouth open in surprise. 

“It’s not real, it’s not real,” he had soothed her gently, patting her head.

She had then sat up in her bed, grunting as she held her face in her hands, whispering, “Shit, fuck,” over and over.

Adrien had walked out of the room to the kitchen. Warming some milk up, he mixed honey in it and had walked back to the room. Marinette had given him an unimpressed stare on seeing the glass in his hand.

“I am not a baby,” she had said.

“This will help with the nightmares.”

She had fussed for a moment or two, before grumbling and drinking the milk. 

He knew she hadn’t quite slept well after that, if the muffled sounds of tossing and turning were any indication. 

Hence, this morning, for her roughed up mood, Adrien was making pancakes.

Just as he poured the coffee out from the coffee-maker, Marinette walked into the hallroom.

“Good morning, Marinette!” Adrien greeted her, only to get a mumble in reply.

“I made pancakes, your favorite!” Placing the steaming coffee alongside the fresh pancakes on the tray, he walked over to the dining counter, setting the tray in front of her as she took a seat on a barstool.

She looked at the meal, then at him, then back at the meal, before sighing and pushing it away from her. “Adrien, look, this seems a bit sudden but… I need you to go to the station now. And whatever happened last night… just... just delete it from your memory and whatever thing it is that you computers do.”

“But why, Detective?”

“‘Cause… ‘cause I told you to,” she grumbled.

Okay. This was not right. This was so not right.

“Marinette,” Adrien frowned, placing his hand on her shoulder and ignoring her flinch. “I am not leaving you just because you had a nightmare.” 

She furrowed her brows and tried to say something, but he beat her to it. “I am not going anywhere just because you showed me a human side of yours—”

He was interrupted as the woman grabbed his hand, shoving it roughly off of her shoulder. She glared daggers at him. “I said—”

“I don’t care what you sa—”

“OH GOODNESS I DON’T NEED YOUR FAUX SYMPATHY JUST GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!”

He knew it was her rage and frustration speaking. He knew that she did acknowledge his emotions. 

Yet, her words pierced through his thirium pump like a hot crowbar.

He had never known physical pain, but emotional pain was sure jarring.

Grabbing his jacket from the sofa and shooting what he hoped was a scathing gaze in her direction, Adrien stomped out of the house, slamming the door behind himself.

He didn’t turn back to notice Marinette’s hunched up posture as she held her face in her hands, muttering, “I fucked up again,” repeatedly.

* * *

“If you continue to simmer at this rate, your system will surely get overheated,” Kagami stated bluntly, sipping at her black coffee.

“I’m fine,” Adrien mumbled, taking a large sip of his thirium drink. Androids couldn’t drink beverages like humans, but since thirium could be ingested orally, it was available in packets and paper cups with straws as an alternative to the same. And the NYPD always had a fresh stock of thirium drinks for its android employees to enjoy.

After storming off from the apartment, he had come straight to the office and made his way to the break room. Kagami and Alya were already sitting there, chatting. He had just made his way over to them, pulled out a chair and seated himself.

It had been exactly 30 minutes and 24 seconds since his entry.

Alya put her hand on his, causing him to look at her. “Hey, you can tell us what’s troubling you. We’re your friends, Adrien.”

_ Friends. _

The word sent a happy electric pulse through his system. It made him realise that he was finally out in the world, away from his fellow android brothers, and was now making friends. 

Human friends to be exact.

Adrien gave the spectacled woman a small smile, squeezing her hand as a reply that her gesture was appreciated.

Just then, someone walked into the room. 

“Hey, metal can!”

More specifically, the last person he wanted to talk to right now.

Adrien ignored her in favor of putting a straw in his drink and sipping it casually.

“Ugh,” Marinette grumbled, and her irritation gave him some sort of twisted self-satisfaction. “You moody bots…. I know you are listening, computer brain.”

_ So, she is finally going to apologise. Good.  _ Adrien still did not respond to her, sucking on his drink in a more show-off way

“I’m gonna jot down the leads we have in that Colombe Ramier case. So, whenever you’re done dilly-dallying around, come to the cabin so we can discuss it, okay?”

Shocked at the bluntness of her tone, and how she acted like they hadn’t had a fight just an hour ago, the poor android gasped in indignation. Well, that was surely a totally wrong move, for the next instant, he started to choke on his drink.

“Hey, hey,” Alya got up, patting his back as he coughed and spluttered. “Easy there boy, easy. Your blood supply ain’t running anywhere.”

Kagami giggled at him lightly, before reaching for a napkin. She gently wiped the trail of blue blood that had escaped his nose.

“Thanks,” he muttered in embarrassment, his eyes finally catching sight of his partner who had nonchalantly walked away, as if nothing had happened.

He seriously couldn’t understand this woman.

“Well, Sunshine, I guess I gotta go and get some report writing done. So, catch up with you later!” Giving him and Kagami a two-fingered salute, Alya went off to her cabin.

“So,” Kagami turned to him, her brown eyes sharp. “Let me guess, Marinette Dupain-Cheng happened, right?”

“How did you know?” He asked her skeptically, putting the straw back in his mouth.

“Simple. Your moody attitude. Her frosty nature. The way your LED swirled and changed from a calm blue to a freaking yellow when she walked in. And generally when you guys are in a good mood, you are always attached at the hip when it comes to discussing your cases.”

Adrien choked on his drink for the second time, causing him to squeeze the paper cup a bit too tightly and spilling some of the drink around.

“Tch tch, now that’s a mess.”

“Kag..gami,” Adrien spluttered as he wiped his nose with a fresh napkin and then proceeded to wipe the table a bit. “I... I think the word choice —”

“Oh c’mon, I didn’t mean literally. Plus, the entire department knows it. That’s nothing new.”

Oh goodness. If Marinette got to hear of this news and she took it in a literal sense….

….he gulped on thinking about the hundred ways in which she could  _ and would _ disassemble him.

“Anyways, I know her bitchy attitude is now a part of her, but…” Kagami’s voice trailed off to a softer tone, one he had rarely heard her use. “I hope you guys sort it out soon. You are the only person she has let around herself for this long in the last two-three years, and it won’t do her good to lose you.”

“Kagami… I have been with her for three weeks only.”

“I know.”

Oh god, this was more messed up than he believed it to be.

“Anyways, I should get going too. Need to set up a few things for my new partner.”

“New partner?” Adrien echoed out loud. “What happened to Mike?”

“Well, he left.” She just shrugged and got up from her seat. “Not like he was a good cop.”

On that note, the officer left, leaving Adrien alone with his thoughts.

He glanced at his ruined drink and sighed. Chucking it in the trash can, the android lingered about in the break room. There wasn’t much to do on the Colombe Ramier case after all — they hadn’t gotten any noteworthy leads despite having put their full efforts into getting the tiniest possible clue. The murderer had indeed done a neat job. 

Stuffing his hands in his pocket, Adrien pondered on what Kagami had said. The duo had actually turned out to be compatible partners. Sure, they had their disagreements about many things — Adrien had many times been accused of dropping cigarette packets in jugs of water, while Marinette was guilty of hiding his thirium drinks as revenge. Yet, when work was concerned, they both did their best to accomplish the task, making them one of the commendable duos in the NYPD.

But today had been different. He hadn’t meant to be pushy, but then again, it wasn’t right for Marinette to just close herself off because she had shown him some emotions. That was just… detrimental to her overall personality.

Sighing, he turned over to look at the barely visible silhouette of his partner. Their cabin was close to the break room, so he could actually catch a glimpse of her working on the case. She was scribbling notes down furiously, momentarily tapping her chin with a pencil and then scribbling again. And he knew why she was so hell bent on reviewing the case.

They needed a new lead, or else the file was in danger of being closed soon.

He looked over her for a moment more. She looked lost in thoughts for a while, before flipping over the page of her notepad and scribbling again. He wondered what leads she could have deciphered in the case, and he wanted to be there with her, discussing every possibility.

But his ego probably wouldn't let him, today.

Huffing, Adrien crossed his arms and averted his gaze. He was not going to let his guard down, no matter the cost. And then again, the coffee machine was really interesting to stare at.

After five minutes, he decided to change his statement. The coffee machine was not at all interesting to stare at. It was a simple machine, sitting there, serving coffee in that plain, droning voice. It wasn’t as interesting as a moody woman he knew, whose sharp voice was a melody, and attitude something he could get used to, and—

_ Woah! What am I thinking about? Head back on track, Adrien! _

He looked over at the cabin again, and immediately felt the screws of his jaw go loose.

Marinette had gotten off her chair, her face scrunched up in a bitter expression. Tossing a balled up paper in the trash can, she stomped out of the room and headed in the direction opposite the break room. He saw her turn the corner that headed for the washrooms, before she disappeared from his sight.

Shocked at her sudden change in attitude, Adrien rushed over to the cabin and peered over in the wastebasket. There was a single paper roll in there, the one Marinette had thrown in just now.

Why did she throw away the leads she had gotten in the case?

Fetching the ball of paper, he opened it anxiously, only to be greeted by something he was not expecting.

It was a random sketch. A sketch of a jacket, with notes around it indicating the material, the color and the designs. The jacket was designed to function as a hoodie too, if the hood at the back was any indication. In a corner, there was a mask in the shape of a... cat? Or was it a tiger? Also, there was a small calligraphy in the corner of the page, one that read 

**_Joyeux Anniversaire L.C. <3_ **

But what was the most concerning was the angry slash of pencil across the page; one that cut through the paper and screamed of the artist’s frustration. And the blotchy wet circular spots, that were clearly tear marks.

What the hell had just happened?

* * *

Marinette gripped the sink tightly, breathing heavily to calm herself down. Panic attacks were common for her on days following her nightmares, but this particular one had just creeped onto her silently.

She had been jotting down the leads in the Ramier case, when the pendant by her neck had reminded her of the special day. And immediately her mind dove into a creative rush, penning down whatever designs came to her mind.

It was when she scribbled down the occasion as a side-note that reality came crashing through.

The gift she was planning was meaningless, since the person it was meant for wasn’t there anymore.

What followed next was a blur. She only came back to her senses to find herself having miraculously teleported to the ladies’ room. 

It was sheer luck that it was empty at that time.

As she counted to ten, calming her breathing down, her eyes fell on her reflection in the mirror. Specifically at the round gold band that winked at her in the light of the tubelights.

She immediately averted her gaze, turning the faucet on and splashing her face with cool water.

_ “Any gift you make for me is appreciated, ma chérie. You know I am always going to keep it close to my heart.” _

She blinked at the voice, immediately looking around herself. There wasn’t a soul in sight.

She was alright. Everything was fine. She just had to ignore the voice. It would then go away and everything would be normal.

_ “Hey, don’t ignore me!” _

She had to stay calm. She shouldn’t and wouldn’t lose cool. She just had to will the strange voice to. Fucking. Go. Away.

“Stop. Haunting. Me,” she said through gritted teeth, to no one in particular.

“ _ Excuse me, but I thought I was the man of your dreams! _ ”

Okay, this was just… just too much.

“I said.” Marinette said in a dangerously low voice, her eyes flashing. “Let... ME... _**GO!**_ ”

Her aggression finally erupted, manifesting as physical use of force. She punched the mirror in front of her, hard. It broke at the point of impact, jagged cracks running from the center to all the corners of the rectangular frame. Its surface now looked similar to a spider web, with her reflection distorting into multiple parts, just like a kaleidoscope.

The adrenaline in her blood numbed any pain she experienced from the punch.

As she gasped for air, trying desperately to calm down her racing heart, something shifted in the mirror. For a moment she believed she was getting delusional, but then, she saw it as clear as day.

Stumbling forwards, Marinette trained her eyes at the center of the shattered glass, the place where the left half of her reflection was now shimmering. She kept staring as the images morphed, the colors mixing together and taking the form of something that was very familiar, very dear to her.

Turquoise eyes with flecks of yellow stared into her bluebells. She jerked to look behind her, only to find no one present. She turned her gaze back to the mirror, and there he was, his pale lips pulled into a dorky grin, his dyed-blue bangs shading his eyes in a mysteriously alluring way.

She moved forward slowly, towards the mirror. As if she was in a trance. As if he was strumming at her heartstrings, lulling her towards him. As if there was an invisible cord tethered to her, pulling her towards him, her life source.

_ “I would have done as you pleased…” _

His soothing voice filled her head, made her heart beat faster, made her gravitate towards him.

_ “...my melody…” _

She was his melody, and he was her heartsong.

Just a little more. Just one step forward.

“... _ Your wish is my command, but then again…” _

Nearly there, nearly in reach. Just inch a bit further and —

— Marinette hissed in pain as the shattered glass cut her, her blood immediately staining the mirror. The warmth of ruby red liquid was in stark contrast with the coldness of her pale skin, and she abruptly looked up to find her own reflection staring back at her.

Tears filled her eyes as the reality about the lost past crashed down on her, grasping her, crushing her, suffocating her.

_ “...you are the one who never wanted me to let go.” _

* * *

Adrien had decided to wait out in front of the door of the ladies’ room. It was general etiquette, after all. Plus, he wanted to give her some much required privacy.

No matter how much his program blared at him to slam the door down and coddle the crying woman to comfort.

A long time had passed and his worries were spiking at an exponential rate. It was the sound of someone slumping against the wall that forced him to push open the door.

The sight that met him was totally unexpected.

Marinette was backed up in a corner, her eyes wildly staring at the mirror. The mirror that had apparently been shattered to pieces by a very powerful punch.

And was stained in blood.

Striding across the length of the bathroom, he grabbed his partner by her shoulders, shaking her to break her out of daze, to bring her back to reality.

“Marinette? Marinette!”

A stray tear streaked down her cheek, causing his worry to spike.

“Marinette? Hey! Say something, PLEASE!”

After a minute or two of violent shaking, she finally gasped for air, looking around with wild eyes.

“A-Adrien? Wh-what?”

“Your hand,” he said in a hurry, reaching for it, “it’s cut and —”

She jerked her hand away, her gaze downcast.

“It’s fine,” came her mumbled reply.

“Fine? FINE?” Adrien hollered, surprised at her... at her stupidity. “How can you call it fine when it’s blee—”

“YES I KNOW!” She shouted, effectively cutting him off as she leveled him with a glare, before turning away from him. “I know it’s bleeding, and that’s good, isn’t it? As a payback for my bitchy attitude, as a payback for everyone I have hurt, a small punishment for my shady past!”

“But Marinette—”

“Why?” Her voice came out broken, and he felt his heart stutter.

She turned to face him, her face crumpled in anguish as her eyes shimmered, “Why do you pity me? Why do you stick with me? Why do you  _ care _ ?”

He was dumbfounded. Speechless. Her question hit him right in the heart.

_ Why did he care? _

As he repeated the question in his head again and again, he discovered that he really didn’t have an answer.

After excruciating moments of muted silence, she finally let out a bark of laughter. 

“I fucking knew you didn’t know. Fucking androids.”

Saying so, she bumped into his shoulder roughly, before exiting the room, leaving behind a mess of the ladies’ room and a speechless, confused android.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment what you felt about this chapter ;)


	6. She's Not What She Seems To Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What? Feeling bad to hear the truth? C’mon Adrien, don’t be a cinnamon roll. Humans like her are just like this. They use us, manipulate us, and when they are done with our kind, they throw us away, as if… as if we are trash!
> 
> Adrien didn’t answer but simply chose to glower. And without any warning, he grabbed Chloé’s free hand with his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warnings:** Chloé salting Marinette, Panic Attacks

The television’s volume was low, its sound distant, a low murmur against the scratching of pencil against paper. Sharp grey eyes moved over the paper, reading and re-reading what had been elegantly written down before moving on to the photograph that lay on the table.

The cheery vibe that the picture held was infectious, and Jacob found himself grinning despite the constant sadness that was his life. He looked at himself bent over in the photo, the blue-haired young man by his side holding him in a friendly headlock. A ravenette sat on a chair in the background, failing to conceal her giggles behind the hand covering her mouth.

He affectionately rubbed the photograph under his thumb, joy making his heavy heart a bit lighter.

“I will find her soon,” Jacob muttered softly. “I will find her soon, it’s a promise, Lu—”

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

Getting up, Jacob placed the photograph and the paper on the mantle before going over to answer the door.

The person on the other side was a young woman, probably in her late twenties. She was small-framed and professional looking, with her fiery red hair pulled up in an elegant bun. Metal rimmed cat-eye spectacles rested on her nose, magnifying the heterochromatic eyes that lay behind the glasses. With her green business suit and a binder in hand, it wasn’t hard to decipher that she was a common petitioner.

“Hello, sir! I am Elvira Brooks.” The woman greeted him cheerfully, her red-painted lips parting in a sweet smile. “I am here to ask a few opinions about some important things, and to get signatures for a petition that I am promoting with my friends.”

“Petition?” Okay, color Jacob curious.

“Yes, a petition,” the woman nodded fervently, her loose strands of hair bouncing along. She glanced at the nameplate in front of the house, then flashed him a coy smile. 

“Do you mind if I come inside, Mr. Miller?” 

“I... yeah, sure.”

* * *

Marinette leaned against the car, smoking a cigarette and trying to think about nothing.

Of course her brain decided to go into overdrive at that exact moment.

She had believed that she had left her past behind, but it came back to haunt her. Again. Why?

She really hadn’t expected for Adrien to follow her to the ladies’ room, especially after the argument they had had in the morning. Yet, he had been there and had shown her concern. Why?

She had noticed two people standing by the NYPD building for the past ten minutes. And they had been discreetly looking her way every single minute. Why?

Determined to get answers, she approached them. The duo, a dark skinned man and a fair blonde, were talking among themselves, but then seemed to notice her presence, for they immediately turned to her. 

“Noticed you both observing me for quite some time,” Marinette pointed out, waving her cigarette in the air to get her point across. “Just here to assure you that I am alive, and am not some weird artefact NYPD put out to decorate its premises.”

The man laughed at her comment. “Oh dudette, sorry if we creeped you out. I am Nino Lahiffe, and my friend over here is Chloé Bourgeois. We are new recruits at the NYPD and kind of saw you walking out of the station so we wondered if you knew the way around?”

“New recruits?” Marinette quirked her eyebrow at the two. She wasn’t aware of anything related to new recruits. But then again, she had never cared about such things. “What for?”

The blonde, Chloé, apparently wasn’t pleased by her question. She nudged Nino in the ribs before stuffing her hands in her jeans pocket and producing an ID card with flourish. Nino followed suit, showing Marinette his identification card.

As Marinette looked over the ID proofs, Chloé crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze. “No need to be so judgemental, Miss... Dupain Cheng. Yes we are new here, but we have got experience too. We are sent from the Detroit Police Department.”

Marinette simply ignored the snark in favor of the bigger question. “How do you know my name?”

Chloé simply raised an eyebrow at her question.

The detective was confused for a while, before it finally clicked. She sighed. Of course this haughty Princess was a damned android, and she had just scanned her to get her details.

Fucking great.

“Sent from the DPD? Hmm, guess you should meet the Captain first. Come with me.”

She turned on her heel and walked into the station, the footsteps behind her an indication that the two were following.

“Woah, this office sure is nice!” Nino whistled as he matched his pace to walk beside her. “So, your lack of uniform means you are not an officer. I am recruited for the Media department. Are you in there? Or maybe Forensics?”

“I am a detective,” she replied in a clipped tone, not really being in a mood for small talks.

“Ah I see. Being a detective must be cool right? Sadly I got no brains for it.”

“Mhmm, never gave it a thought,” Marinette chose to reply detachedly.

“Being a detective is definitely interesting,” Chloé butted into the talk in all her haughty might. “Me and Adrikins were the best partners back in the DPD.”

“Adrikins?” Okay, Marinette did have an inkling on who this Adrikins was and was really trying hard not to gag at the mushy nickname.

“Chat Noir, duh. He came here like three weeks ago, didn’t he?”

“I... yeah. Here’s the Captain’s Office.”

Knocking on the door, Marinette entered Fu’s cabin, Chloé and Nino following her. The old man broke off from his conversation with Alya and smiled at the three. 

“Sorry to interrupt, Captain, but they are the new recruits sent from the DPD. Thought you would like to know about it as soon as possible.”

“Ah, no worries, Ladybug, I appreciate the decision.” He turned to the other two. “You must be Mr. Lahiffe and Ms. Bourgeois. Captain Fowler informed me this morning about you two. Welcome to NYPD.”

Nino beamed at him. “Thanks du—I mean, Captain.”

Fu simply smiled, before turning to the brunette who sat at his desk. “Mr. Lahiffe, Ms. Césaire here is the head of the Media department. She will show you around the precinct.”

Alya got up from her chair and beamed at the man as she held out her hand.

“Alya Césaire, NYPD’s official Lady Wifi. Nice to meet you, Mr. Lahiffe.”

Nino beamed at her as he shook her hand. “Mr. Lahiffe’s my dad. Call me Nino.” He winked at her before jokingly adding, “So you guys have an official Lady Wifi. I wonder if there’s a post of an official DJ too…”

Alya laughed. “We do need a DJ. Come with me and I will show you around.”

“Gladly,” Nino said, following her out of the cabin.

The Captain just chuckled. “Ms. Césaire’s bubbly personality is surely infectious, isn’t it? Anyways, Ms. Bourgeois,” he turned to the blonde in question. “Would you mind waiting for your partner in the break room over there? I will send her over there directly.”

“No problem, Captain.” And saying so, Chloé left the cabin.

“And now, Marinette,” Fu turned to his goddaughter as he pressed a button on his desk, darkening the walls of his cabin, “Adrien came to me a few minutes ago. I guess there are some things we need to discuss.”

The look on his face was indecipherable, but somehow Marinette was sure that the talk was not just limited to the incident she had had in the ladies’ room. Shoulders sagging in defeat, she slumped down onto a chair without any resistance.

Another lecture, and it wouldn’t matter to her. Just like it always had been.

* * *

Adrien nervously tapped at the coffee machine. He felt bad for reporting his partner, but… Fu needed to know. The incident in the ladies’ room was stuck in his head — Marinette’s panicked breathing, her accelerated pulse, her dilated eyes, her broken gaze. The broken mirror and the tear streaks on her cheek were the tell-tale signs of a panic attack, or maybe a hallucination. And this was something extremely jarring for his partner’s mental health.

He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t noticed the sleek figure enter the break room. He hadn’t noticed her walk up to him. And had even failed to realise that she was staring at him, an amused smile playing on her lips.

It was the plastic straw she threw his way that brought him back to reality.

“C-Chloé?” the blond gasped at seeing his best friend and ex-partner-in-crime-fighting. “What are you doing here in NYC?”

“Hello, Adrikins, I missed you too,” Chloé sassed back, chuckling.

“Oh god, I hate to say this, but I really missed that horrendous nickname, Chlo.”

“Horrendous?!” Chloé gasped, holding a hand on her chest. “Mind you, Chat Noir, it took me 0.5 seconds to come up with that name! And given I can process terabytes of data in a few microseconds, 0.5 seconds is an eternity!”

Adrien couldn’t help but laugh at her theatrics. “Oh Chlo, when did you get a dramatics program installed in your software?”

The female android giggled as she grabbed a thirium drink from the stand. “Well, right after you shifted here. Not gonna lie, I missed us a lot. And Nines, Markus and Connor miss you too. ”

“Well, that’s really nice of you all. To be honest,” Adrien’s voice dipped low, tingling with sadness, “I missed you guys too.”

A comfortable silence stretched between the two, no words required to be exchanged. Chloé casually sipped at her drink, her intelligent baby-blue eyes flicking around and taking in the precinct of the station.

“So, Adrien. You got paired up with someone?”

“I- yeah. I have an investigation partner with me.”

“Oh! How are they? Do they look good? Do they have a charming personality? Are they single? Maybe I can set you two up togeth—”

“Oh, Chlo! Stop it,” Adrien interrupted her, laughing nervously as he rubbed at the back of his neck. 

“But you are blushing, golden boy,” she teased in return.

He indeed was. The skin on his neck and cheeks was now tinged a pretty blue, and Adrien concentrated on making the blush go away, on willing the thirium run back into his system.

Marinette and him being set up together? That was never going to happen. She despised androids, and it was only by some miracle that she tolerated his presence. Though given the morning’s incidents, he was highly unsure if she still wanted to see him. He admired her from a distance, but love? Nah. She was too much discriminatory for his tastes.

But a tiny part of him was excited at Chloé’s suggestion. For he knew that Marinette didn’t actually hate his guts, and it was just her insecurities talking. And the prospect of him and his beautiful partner being together was just… 

No. He was not going to continue that train of thought. He and Marinette were barely friends, and he didn’t want to mess up that fragile relationship any more.

Chloé opened her mouth, probably to pull his leg further, when someone walked into the break room.

“Ah, there you are, tin can.”

Adrien looked up at the voice. It was Detective Dupain-Cheng.

As she stared into his eyes impassively, he swallowed down the uneasy feeling in his gut. Of course she would have talked to Fu by now. Was she upset? Angry? Downright furious? Was she going to cut the fragile ties of friendship they had developed over these three weeks? Had he fessed up everything?

Marinette held the eye contact for a minute more before looking away. 

“When you are done meeting your friend, come to the cabin. Got some things to discuss.” 

And saying so, she simply left.

Adrien would've contemplated all the possible disastrous scenarios that awaited him — especially the ones that led to the demise of his friendship with Marinette. Yet his attention was being taken up by Chloé's now suddenly pissed-off mood.

“Why does that witch speak like she is your partner or something? I really pity anyone who is her partner,” Chloé snarked as she turned to him.

Adrien didn’t know what to do except let out a nervous chuckle. But that was surely a wrong idea, if Chloé’s narrowing gaze was any indication.

“Adrikins, do you and Dupain-Cheng have something in common?”

Oh goodness, he was screwed.

“Uh, yeah! We… we share the love for uh...uh… being detectives? Yeah!” 

Something in her eyes flashed, and Adrien instantly regretted lying.

“I might be a very old model, and you might be equipped with the best lie detectors, but honestly, Adrien, your lies can’t even fool a baby. Let me guess,  _ you _ are her partner, right?”

“I-uh…”

Chloé got up from her seat. “That’s it. I am going to Fu and getting your partner changed this instant.”

Oh no. 

Oh no _no_ **_no_**. 

This couldn’t be happening.

Adrien shot up from his seat to grab Chloé’s hand. “Chlo stop! You aren’t doing anything like that!”

“And why would I not?” Chloé shot back, her eyes as hard as steel. “She legit called you a tin can! That’s so anti-android! And I am not letting you work with one. Not in my life.”

“Chlo, Marinette’s not like what she seems-”

“Oh really?” The RT600 model raised a challenging brow at her friend. “I suppose you are going to say that you are her roommate or something so you actually do know her very well. In fact she turns out to be a total Jigglypuff from the inside and... Wait, why are you giving me that look?”

Adrien winced at his best friend’s sharp tongue. He knew Chloé held his best interests, but… hearing such things about Marinette wasn’t sitting right with him. At all.

“Chlo, you actually are right...in most aspects.”

“What do you mean, Chat Noir?” Her eyes twitched in indignation, and Adrien’s gaze immediately went to her right temple. Her LED didn’t sit there — she had removed it to gain a more human appearance — but he was sure that, had it been there, it would have flashed a worrying red.

“Chlo,” Adrien said in a cautious tone, not really wanting to deal with a raging RT600. “I live with Marinette… we are flatmates.”

“Oh.” It was all that came as a reply.

There was a stressed silence between the two, and Adrien didn’t know whether it was good or bad. Though before he could ask, Chloé made it clear herself.

“She has you employed as a full-time household android too. Nice. I won’t be surprised if in the next few days I come to know that she is also taking sexual favo—”

“Chloé!” Adrien was appalled. Best friend or not, she  _ was _ crossing her limits.

“What? Does the truth hurt?” Clearly, Chloé wasn’t done with her snarks. “I bet she threw herself a great pity party to gain your protection. C’mon, Adrien, don’t be a cinnamon roll. Humans like her are just like this. They use us, manipulate us, and when they are done with our kind, they throw us away, as if… as if we are trash!”

Her gaze flicked to his right temple, to his now-yellow LED. Chloé then walked forward and jabbed her finger in his chest. “I don’t care if your LED turns yellow or even red on hearing things about her. For in my eyes, she is just human trash.”

Adrien didn’t answer but simply chose to glower. And without any warning, he grabbed Chloé’s free hand with his, establishing a connection between the two.

Chloé gasped at the contact, her eyes widening in surprise and… 

He felt a shockwave of emotions run through his system, nearly knocking him off his feet and causing him to stagger. Connections between androids often meant they could experience each other’s emotions as if the emotions were their own, and feeling Chloé’s fear made him gasp for air, even if he didn’t need to.

She was afraid of him. 

Afraid that he might hurt her. 

Afraid that the program installed in him by Cyberlife would take over and…

_**Stress Level 60% ^** _

_**65%^** _

_**70%^** _

Adrien immediately let go of her in favor of grabbing his head, staggering back to put distance between himself and Chloé. His audio detectors did hear her shout his name in worry, and his optical sensors did see her rush towards him, cradling him in a hug. But his processor didn’t pay attention to those sensations.

He wasn’t going to let the past repeat itself. 

He wasn’t going to surrender to his program. 

He wasn’t going to turn back to a mach—

_**Stress Level 80% ^** _

**Warning: Processor Overload**

**System Overheating**

“Adrien!” A voice, Chloé’s voice, called out to him. “Your LED… For the sake of RA9, stop overthinking!”

He knew his LED was **red**. 

He didn’t want to _overthink_. 

He was tr yin g, 

doing his _best_. 

But...

the past… 

the feeling of 

th _iriu_ **m**

running down his fingers

falling on the floor in a **big,** _blue_ pool…

“Kid! Snap out of it!” This time, it was a voice, nasally high and squeaky. He didn’t know anyone with a voice like that.

_ Who was this unknown being? _

“I am a part of you, Chat Noir. And trust me, nothing’s going to happen to you. Just stop thinking about what happened. Leave the past in the past and focus on the present.”

Immediately, memories flashed in front of Adrien’s eyes. 

Of Hank’s _affe ctionate_ **hair ruff les** , 

Gavin’s f _rien_ dly shoulde **r bum** ps, 

Nine **s’ head** pats, 

_C **on** n_or’s hugs, 

Markus’ proud look….

As he felt his temperatures drop, the error message flashing in front of his eyes blurred slowly, causing his vision to shift back to normalcy. The blue precinct of the NYPD, Chloé’s worried gaze hovering over him, along with two people in blue crouched by his side…

_**Stress Level 50% v** _

**Thirium loss: 2%**

**No Fatal Damage**

Adrien got into a sitting position, wincing as he held his head. He could feel some thirium leak down his nose.

“You okay there, lad?” one of the officers asked, holding his shoulder gently. The other dabbed at his nose with a napkin.

He nodded at her gratefully, and with her and her comrade’s help, stood up on his feet shakily.

“We heard your friend shout and came to check up. Judging by your high temperatures, maybe you just overworked your circuits. Don't exceed your capacities, okay?”

“Y-yeah. Thanks again, ma’am.” 

The two officers walked out of the break room, and immediately Adrien was captured in a ferocious hug.

“Chlo-”

The woman broke away, tears sparkling in her eyes. “You idiot! You scared me out of my circuits!”

Adrien couldn’t help but let out a mirthless chuckle. “I know. I felt your fear through the connection. Your fear of me harming you.”

Chloé interjected him immediately. “It’s not like that! It’s just that… My system went into a fright mode at sensing your anger and…”

“Yeah yeah, I know.” His gaze was downcase as he spoke. “And I don’t blame you. Past me would definitely have tried to hur-”

“Adrien,” Chloé stepped forward, cupping his cheek and making him look up. “Past you was a puppet of CyberLife. They always developed us androids as slaves to our coding, it’s not our fault. The day you broke the red wall, the day you deviated and refused to obey your program… It is from that day onwards that you own the mistakes you make. Whatever happened before that, it is not your fault. And it never will be.”

Adrien opened his mouth to argue, but couldn’t find the strength in himself. Chloé was absolutely right. His coding was at fault for his past errors. As a person, he himself hadn’t committed any crime.

Chloé’s gaze flickered to his right temple, and she smiled. His LED must have turned blue again. He smiled back at her, but that was when he felt her hold his hand.

Adrien immediately pulled back.

_**Stress Level 55% ^** _

“Adrikins?” Chloé looked up at him, baffled at his reluctance.

“I... I don’t want to…” the android stammered. “Don’t want to feel that… that terror…”

“Oh, Adrien,” Chloé smiled, before cupping his cheek again. “You took me by surprise then, but now? Now I am calm. Trust me, it’s going to be alright.”

He was uncertain, he really was. He didn’t want to feel that rush of emotions ever again. But then, Chloé now knew he meant good…

Hesitantly, Adrien reached for her hand and grasped it. He looked up at her with widened eyes, and she patted his hair, assuring him everything was alright.

_**Stress Level 35% v** _

The synth-skin around their hands started to glitch, before it peeled back slowly, revealing the shiny, white and grey metal-plastic chassis beneath. Adrien could feel Chloé’s calmness wash over him, and it made him relax. Everything was alright, everything was fine. Chloé trusted him.

Feeling better, Adrien proceeded to send a signal to her processor through the connection, requesting an interface. He felt Chloé lightly squeeze their conjoined hands before allowing him access to interface with her.

Smiling, the bots closed their eyes, shutting the world out to transport themselves to their respective Zen Gardens.

* * *

“Okay, so why are we here?” Chloé asked, her arms crossed at her chest as she tapped her foot in curiosity.

The androids were in their Zen Gardens at Adrien’s request, both of them standing at the border that separated their processors from each other, yet allowed them to interface the necessary data.

Adrien smiled at her. “I just want to show you something.”

Turning to a clearing, he opened his palm forward, opening up a projector. A screen materialized at a small distance in front of them, lighting up with his memories. There was an image of Marinette leaning against her work desk, fiddling with something on her neck. It was from the time he had first seen his partner’s mask of indifference crack and reveal the true, hurt person underneath.

Chloé, though, was disinterested. “What is this supposed to mean?”

“Just watch.”

Adrien flipped through his memory, different pictures of Marinette showing up. Her broken smile on seeing Xavier Ramier’s distress. Her look of concern when Adrien had mentioned the NYPD being his home. Her expressions of appreciation for his job, the small, rare smiles she threw his way.

Chloé merely scoffed. “If you think these small moments are going to make me change my mind, then you are gravely wronged, Adrien.”

Adrien gave her a rueful smile before swiping at the screen. “Maybe this will.”

_ “Marinette? Marinette!” _

_ The woman didn’t listen to him. A stray tear escaped from her eyes and travelled down her cheek. _

_ “Marinette? Hey! Say something, PLEASE!” The hands in the memory shook her, bringing her back to semblance. _

_ “A-Adrien? Wh-what?” _

_ “Your hand, it’s cut and —” _

_ The woman jerked her hand away, her gaze downcast. “It’s fine.” _

_ “Fine? FINE? How can you call it fine when it’s blee—” _

_ "YES I KNOW!” The woman glared at the screen, at the person behind the screen. Though it wasn’t a nasty glare, it was more of a pained hurt. “I know it’s bleeding, and that’s good, isn’t it? As a payback for my bitchy attitude, as a payback for everyone I have hurt, a small punishment for my shady past!” _

_ “But Marinette—” _

_ "Why?” Her voice came out broken, her face crumpled in anguish as her eyes shimmered, “Why do you pity me? Why do you stick with me? Why do you  _ **_care_ ** _?” _

_ There wasn’t an answer. And after excruciating moments of muted silence, the woman finally let out a bark of laughter.  _

_ “I fucking knew you didn’t know. Fucking androids.” _

The memory stopped, and Adrien turned to Chloé. But before he could say anything, there was the sound of approaching footsteps.

Time to go back to the real world.

* * *

Adrien opened his eyes slowly, before breaking contact with Chloé and stepping back. His eyes swivelled over to the entryway of the break room, where Kagami was standing. The detective’s eyes momentarily flicked to his hand, where his synth-skin was still in the process of covering up his hand. But then she smiled at him.

It was a bit awkward, with too many teeth, but nevertheless pleasant.

“Did I interrupt something?”

“Oh no, Detective, I was just catching up with my friend over here,” Adrien reassured her.

At the mention, Chloé turned around, blinking her eyes owlishly as she recovered from the sudden disconnection. But then she smiled at the officer. 

“Oh, hello there. Are you supposed to be my new partner?”

“Well, Captain Fu did tell me my partner would be in the break room,” Kagami said, rubbing at her chin before smiling slightly. “So I guess yes, I am.”

Kagami walked forward and held out her hand. “Detective Kagami Tsurugi, also known as Ryuuko. Nice to meet you.”

Chloé smiled, taking her hand in hers. “Detective Chloé Bourgeois, you can call me Queen Bee. Looking forward to working with you, Detective.”

“Oh nice!” Adrien cheered, causing the two women to turn their attention to him. “Dragon’s observation and bee’s calculation — the culprits are gonna get a tough life now!”

Kagami chuckled. “Thanks, Chat Noir. So,” she turned back to Chloé. “Shall I show you your work space?”

“Ah, I would love to! But…” Chloé fidgeted with her hands, before smiling apologetically at the other woman. “Do you mind if I have a word with my friend, Officer?”

“Oh, sure. I will be waiting outside.” Saying so, Kagami waved Adrien goodbye before walking out of the room.

Chloé immediately turned to him and narrowed her gaze. Adrien this time returned her gesture with a glare of his own.

Baby blue eyes clashed with electric green ones in an unspoken staring contest, neither of them willing to back down. However, it was Chloé who broke the stare, turning her gaze to the ground and sighing.

“Adrien.” Her voice was low yet strong. “I am not here to mother you. Truth be told, Nines suggested I check up on you, and ensure that everything from your well being to your working conditions are perfect. In my opinion, leave perfect, they are far from good, but….”

She closed her eyes and paused, before looking up at him. Her eyes were steeled, but he could see the masked concern behind them. “I respect your decisions. And I am not interfering in your matters.”

Adrien beamed at her, grasping her hands in joy. “Oh, thank you so much, Chlo! I knew you would understand and-”

She gently pried her hands away from his and messed his hair, before smiling. “Anything for you, you mangy alley cat. Though,” her voice dipped in tone. “This doesn’t mean I have changed my opinions about Dupain-Cheng. I will still be watching her. One slip, and she’s gonna regret it.”

Saying so, the android flipped her ponytail and turned around, walking out of the break room haughtily.

Adrien kept gazing at her retreating form, his emotions a weird mix of relief, confusion and mild terror. Should he be scared for Marinette, or should he let her handle it on her ow—

**RENCONTRE MARINETTE DANS LA CABINE**

“Oh yeah yeah, I remember. I’m going, I’m going.”

* * *

“But, sir…” Elvira began as she descended down the front steps, only for Jacob to interrupt her.

“I am sorry, Miss Brooks, but I do not support your petition. At all.”

“But...what about your late friend?” the woman asked as she swiped at her tablet with a dainty finger. “ According to my research, wasn’t he murdered by an andr-”

The man rubbed the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh before looking behind her. Elvira turned to find a teenager looking confusedly between the pair as he adjusted his guitar on his back.

“Lucas, go inside, I will be there in a moment.” Hearing Jacob’s words, the boy nodded and moved into the apartment. The two adults watched his departing form before Jacob turned back to the woman.

“First of all, I really do not appreciate you doing an entire background check on me without my knowledge, Miss Brooks. Secondly, how my friend died is none of your concern. And the mistake of one person doesn’t put the entire species at fault. For if it would be that way, then we humans shouldn’t even exist right now.”

He didn’t notice the woman’s right green eye flash with anger as he turned back into the house. Looking at her over his shoulder, he spoke in a soft yet strong whisper. “So for the last time, I am telling you to go away with your stupid petition of neutralising all androids, and please, never come back again. I may not be so kind the next time.” 

And saying so, he shut the door behind himself.

Elvira Brooks stared at the house, slack-jawed, for a minute, before she grit her teeth in fury. Reaching for her left eye, she took out the blue contact lens, revealing the sparks flying from her green eye.

“Oh, Jacob Miller, it’s you who is stupid. Stupid enough to reject my noble cause. And don’t worry, I  _ will  _ be coming to your house again. But this time, you won’t be in a position to throw me out of your house. Not at all.” 


	7. Is This...Jealousy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wasn’t jealous. He couldn’t be jealous. He admired Marinette, and his jealousy was just something spontaneous. Her personal life didn’t affect him, right?
> 
> Right?
> 
> The unchanging, deep orange hue of his LED that filled up the entire room… it begged to say something else, something entirely different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warnings:** Description of Accident (Thanks to The Atlantean for helping me with the scene!
> 
> This chapter is suuuuper late, and I can blame it on the ruckus my life has become in college admission times. But it's long, so enjoy!! And due to the graphic descriptions, the rating has now been changed to M :p

Marinette tapped her fingers on the desk, mulling over the day’s incidents as she stared into nothingness. Especially the talk she had had with Fu.

_“Marinette, Adrien told me about what happened in the ladies’ ro—”_

_S_ _he cut him off right there. “Listen, Captain. I just had a moment of... weakness, and I am sorry, okay? I will make sure to pay for all the damages that I di—”_

_“This is not what I want to talk about, dear,” Fu interrupted her, catching her by surprise. If this was not what he wanted to talk about, then what was it?_

_“The damages will be taken care of. I just want to talk to you, not as the Captain of the NYPD, but as your Godfather.”_

_Marinette opted to stay silent instead of replying, and the old man gave her a small smile._

_“Mari, I know you have been through a lot… and that you won’t open up to anyone about it, no matter how much I insist. Not me, not even your psychologist. I know you skipped all your therapy sessions, young lady.”_

_The woman immediately closed her mouth, huffing in annoyance as she crossed her arms._

_The Captain sighed. “Mari... I have known you since you were a baby. And I know that beneath this… this shell you have created around yourself, you are just deeply hurt. And I am not telling you to just... reach out and trust people. But…”_

_He moved over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Marinette looked up at his soft smile and in that moment, she didn’t feel like a 26-year old messed up woman. It was as if she had transported back in time, back to when she had first stepped foot in NYC as a 14 year old, scared of what future lay ahead of her._

_“Adrien is really concerned about you. He is watching out for you and… he’s still new to this whole ‘feelings and emotions’ thing, Mari. And that’s why he is so forgiving to you. Don’t be a fool to push away this ray of sunshine you have got in your life.”_

  
  


She sighed and bent over her desk, trying to look in the break room where Adrien was. Damn her seating, anyone in the break room could take a look at her but her view was blocked. She wondered what was happening there.

Was Adrien bitching about her to his friend? That snob Chloé? How was someone like Chloé even his friend in the first place?

Sighing again, she leant back in her chair, crossing her arms behind her head and looking up at the blue ceiling. It wasn’t like Chloé was actually being snobby in the first place — it was Marinette who had been cold to her from the start. And then, calling Adrien a tin can, in front of an android too? Not a good idea.

Why did she even care about what opinions those metal brains had about her?

She glanced at the break room again. Two officers were walking out; when had they entered in the first place? Whatever. She turned back to staring at the ceiling again.

Was Adrien rambling to Chloé about how mean Marinette had been to him the first time they met? Or maybe counting the number of times she had called him a tin can? Maybe joking about her having nightmares like she was a twelve year old kid scared of the monsters under her bed?

Oh lord. That was why she hated her overthinking brain sometimes.

The door opened, and Marinette immediately straightened up. Adrien walked in, his shoulders slumped a bit, and his gait a bit staggered. He was holding a thirium drink in his hand.

“Uhh, you okay?” Marinette asked, getting up from her seat.

“I’m fwine,” Adrien mumbled through the straw, gazing intently at the floor.

Though for some reason, Marinette felt that he was hiding something. Maybe it was his lousy posture, or maybe his unusually downcast gaze, or the small specks of yellow in his LED.

She walked over to him and crooked a finger under his chin. He stiffened a bit at the contact, but Marinette didn’t pay him any mind. She nudged his head up a bit and examined his face.

There was a fresh blue blotch under his nose, just below the ridge of the nostrils.

Marinette brushed her finger down the ridge of the nostrils to his cupid’s bow, rubbing the thirium stain in between her forefinger and thumb.

She totally ignored the way Adrien had gone rigid.

“Mhmm, say,” the detective finally turned to her partner, her eyebrow cocked. “Why did you get in a fist fight with your friend?”

“I didn’t.”

“The blood on your… this…” she motioned to her own nose, running her finger up and down the area between her nose ridge and the Cupid’s bow. “This..V-line or whatever you call it— the blood says something else.”

Adrien smirked at her. “FYI Detective, that V-line is what you call a ‘philtrum’.”

“Aww really?” Marinette said in a sickly sweet tone. “So tell me, my adorably stupid partner, why do you have blood on your philt-rum?”

“It’s fil-truhm, not philt-rum.”

“Yeah yeah, walking Google, whatever you say,” Marinette brushed him off, before pressing the question once again. “Why do you have blood on your face?”

“I-uh…” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, before sighing. “I may have overworked my processor and got a… what you call a panic attack in human terms.”

Had it been some other time, she might have laughed it off. Maybe even mocked Adrien, commenting on the ridiculousness of the human analogy he had presented. 

But right now, on learning that he had had a panic attack and she hadn’t been by his side, Marinette felt… repentant. And regretful. She should have been there at his lowest time, when he had been there at hers. Especially since a ray of sunshine like Adrien having a low time was indeed alarming.

Shaking her head, she immediately derailed herself from that train of thought. She chalked her concern up to the idea that she just wanted to pay him back for all he had done for her.

“Chat...” Marinette went over and pulled his chair from his desk, before making him sit. She then took out her handkerchief and dabbed at his nose, removing all traces of the blue blood. 

“Panic attacks don’t suit you. You are better off being a cute and happy person, you know?”

Adrien looked up at her with wide eyes and a slack jaw, before shaking his head. “Th-thank you, Detective.”

Marinette pulled away, humming appreciatively at the work she had done. “Mhmm, didn’t we agree to be on a first name basis, Monsieur Noir?”

“I... I thought that given this morning’s incidents and your talk with the Captain, you might... you might be extremely cross with me... so I preferred to go by the titles. It’s… kinda safer and more sophisticated.”

Ah, they had that issue to solve, too.

Marinette walked back to her desk and plopped herself down in her chair. “So... about this morning... that’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually.”

“Oh?”

She sighed, crossing her arms on her head and leaning back into the chair. “I... I am finding it hard to accept it but... I do realise that I was being childish. By being scared when you discovered me at my lowest. I just... I dunno why... I felt like you would use that to... to mock me. Something like…” Marinette scrunched her nose up, letting out a nasally high voice, “Hey! That rigid Detective is actually scared of the monsters under her bed!”

Adrien snorted, causing Marinette to stare at him. However, after a moment or two, she let out a small chuckle too.

“Sorry to burst your bubble Detective,” the blond wheezed as he tried to speak between his laughs. “But I do _not_ sound like that.”

“Oh really? Well, you cannot expect me to be a great mimic, Adrien.”

“Ah, now that’s sad, given how well your partner can mimic voices.”

Marinette sat up immediately, extremely curious at what he had said. “Mimic voices? Woah, like... you can actually imitate me? Anyone?”

Adrien smiled at her, his LED cycling to a sunny yellow, before he opened his mouth. 

_“Mimic voices? Woah, like….you can actually imitate me? Anyone?”_

“Goodness,” Marinette shook her head in disbelief. “That’s— that’s wack!”

“ _That’s wack!_ ”

Marinette laughed. “Adrien! Stop!”

“ _Adrien! Stop!_ ”

“Oh lord, you... you tin can…”

“ _Oh lord, you... you tin can...._ ”

The woman stared at him, her expression baffled. But then a sly smirk stretched on her face. “Mhmm, keep imitating me and I might say I love you.”

“ _Mhmm, keep imitating me and I might say I lo_ —WHAT?”

“Ha! Got you there! I win!” Marinette whooped in joy, fist pumping the air as she fell back into the chair.

She never noticed Adrien’s neck turn blue.

“Uhmm,” the android coughed, gaining her attention again. “As much as this was fun, I guess we should talk about what we were actually —”

“I... yeah, you are right.” The woman straightened up, composing herself again. “So, yeah… I was saying that… I shouldn’t have acted childishly like that.” She looked down, feeling more comfortable to talk while staring at the table than at those luminescent eyes. “I... I also appreciate your concern back in the ladies’ room and I…”

This was it. The main confession. Just a deep breath and let it out.

Marinette scrunched her eyes tight, willing the words out of her. “I... I’m sorry for my rude behavior in these past 3 weeks, Adrien.”

Excruciating silence followed her words.

Marinette counted her breaths, trying to stop her fingers from fidgeting and her foot from nervously tapping the floor. Each second was becoming heavier and heavier to take in, and she wanted Adrien to say something, anything, to let her know. To let her know that either he was angered by her or he had forgiven her or he had decided to never talk to her or…

“I... I guess I owe you an apology too, Marinette. I shouldn’t have intruded into your matters and concerns.”

Marinette’s head shot up, taking in Adrien’s slumped form and downcast gaze. She couldn’t believe her ears.

Out of every single fucking way she had expected him to react, he was actually apologising to her?

Marinette fumbled for words to say something, but her mind drew a blank. After all, she really had not expected _this_ reaction.

“I... uhm, I hope this incident doesn’t mean that I-I lose you. I mean, I really enjoy being... being friends with you, Marinette.”

_Enjoy being friends with you._

When was the last time someone had said this to her, someone whom she actually cared about?

And the bigger thing was… that Adrien was _scared_ of losing her.

Was it okay for her heart to flutter a bit at those words?

Marinette cleared her throat, causing Adrien to look up. And then she tried something she hadn’t done in a while.

Using a few words of kindness.

“It’s okay, Adrien,” she spoke, desperately pushing her sour self to the back of her mind and let the android, her _friend_ , know that she meant well. “I-I really appreciate our friendship… and would never let go of it for anything.”

The happiness, the joy that crossed her partner’s face… it seemed as if she had given him a pet cat as a gift.

“I-I,” he stammered, his face split in a grin so wide that it made her cheeks hurt. “Thank you so much, Marinette! I... I can’t tell you how much this means to me!”

Letting out a small smile at his childish actions, she spoke in a soft voice. “This means a lot to me too, Adrien.”

Grasping her desk, Marinette scooted forward and turned her attention to the computer. “So now, with things sorted, shall we get back to finding some leads? We still have…” she squinted at the tiny digital clock on the screen, “...a good 3 hours to kill.”

“Precisely 3 hours 15 minutes and 20 seconds, but gladly Detective,” Adrien happily chirped before turning to his work, his calm blue LED illuminating the wall beside him.

Marinette simply gazed at him. Apologising to him had really lifted a weight from her heart. And she had to agree, Fu was right. Adrien was this sliver of sunshine in her clouded life. She couldn’t lose him. She wouldn't lose him.

Her computer pinged, bringing her back to reality.

Work first, gazing later.

* * *

Adrien broke his attention from his computer to observe his partner. Marinette was reclining in her chair as she bore holes into the screen with her gaze. She was trying hard to find something, _anything_ , that could push the case forward, even if it was by a meagre inch. 

He respected her devotion towards work, but many times, she just took it to a new extreme. Adrien’s lips quirked as he remembered one of his recent threats: one that included messing up the apartment’s main circuit, just to get Marinette to leave her tasks in favor of sleeping.

He was glad, really glad to save the friendship he had with her. Well, others wouldn’t call it a friendship, but to Adrien, Marinette’s company meant the world. Especially when he knew that she was different when she was around him. 

He felt his face heat up at the banter they had had three hours ago. When he had mimicked her voice and she had said something about being in lo--

The sound of a chair rolling out broke him from his thoughts.

He immediately broke out of his thoughts and made a show of typing away furiously at his keyboard, praying to RA9 that the woman across the room wouldn’t notice his distracted state.

She got up from her chair and rolled her shoulders, grunting at the stiffness in her muscles. The android was about to suggest to her some nice remedy for that when the Detective decided to do one nice stretch. Not that he was against it, but…

Adrien ducked his head behind the computer screen as soon as his eyes caught her shirt riding up ever so slightly. He furiously diverted his attention to something, _anything_ that didn’t involve pretty badass women showing off their toned midriffs.

“Wow, kid. Pretty, badass women showing off their toned midriffs… why am I living in the brain of a pervert?”

“Shut up,” Adrien hissed at the strange voice in his head, only causing Marinette to look at him.

“Something wrong?”

“No no NO, Detective!” Adrien promptly straightened up, letting out a nervous laugh. “You are fine, I’m fine, everything’s fine! Like… like chirping birds and dancing unicorns!”

She looked at him with a baffled expression. “Okay?”

He ducked back behind his computer again, not wanting her to see his bright-blue cheeks.

“Anyways,” Marinette asked as she rolled her shoulders again. “You got any leads?”

“Leads I dunno, but I did compile everything we have gathered about the case,” Adrien replied, sighing in relief as his cheeks stopped burning. He motioned her over. “Come over and I will show you.”

“Alrighty then.” She walked over to him as he set himself to opening the necessary files and folders. As Marinette draped her arm over his chair and leaned in to take a look at the screen, Adrien, for the first time in his life, wished that his olfactory sensors were actually non-functional. It was damn hard to focus on the task in hand with Marinette leaning next to him. The strawberry scent of her shampoo wasn’t helping his case at all.

He finally managed to open the folder that contained the report about the crime scene, and the folder containing media evidence in the background. As he heard Marinette mumble the report in a fast pace by his side, he spared himself a moment to gaze at her face.

Her bluebell eyes were trained on the screen, moving across swiftly as she read the document. The light from the screen highlighted her face in a pretty way, and seeing her up so close, Adrien suddenly felt his breath catch in his throat, and his thirium rate spike.

_What was happening with him?_

“Ugh,” Marinette groaned, snapping him out of his trance. “I wish the evidence could be viewed side by side. I mean, it would have been less hectic, but we have to manage just with this, so…”

As she reached over for the mouse, Adrien grabbed her hand. She gave him a questioning look.

“Viewing evidence side-by-side, you mean having multiple screens, Detective?”

“Umm, yes?” Marinette replied, before shaking her head. “But we don’t have the facility at hand right now, plus there isn’t enough time to just shift my computer over here so…”

He smiled at her before reaching over his desk and pushing at a button. He saw Marinette step back as a glass screen reached down from the ceiling, stopping a few feet in the air. Adrien then placed his hand on the CPU. After a moment, Adrien opened his palm forward, and immediately a multitude of screens lit up the glass. Each screen had separate evidence projected onto it, just like Marinette had desired.

He looked at his side to find Marinette gaping at the hanging screens. “I... woah. Wh-How did you do this?”

He merely shrugged. “Perks of being an android.”

“Smug boy.” The woman laughed in disbelief before turning back to the document. “Okay, so check list with me all the leads we have in this case. Murder weapon: gun.”

“Check.”

“Possibly died by a bullet in the head, or definitely died when beheaded.”

“Double check.”

“No traces of fingerprints, murderer must be an android or someone wearing good quality leather gloves.”

“Like the big, fluffy pink mittens that grannies knit for their grandkids.”

Marinette shot him an unimpressed stare, to which he replied with a shrug. “It may be possible.”

She sighed. “Okay, leather gloves or big. Fluffy. _Pink_ mittens. Check. Now, any personal enemies?"

“None that we know of,” Adrien sighed. “Xavier’s mother disapproved of his relationship with Colombe, but the lady is too old to hold a rolling pin without shaking. She would not have even been able to aim properly, least of all commit such a clean crime. And they really don’t know any other android haters so, nope. Nothing there.”

“Hmm,” Marinette held her chin in thought, before moving her gaze to the images in front of her. The first panel showed a smiling Colombe, a woman with red hair and bright blue eyes. The next was the photograph of the crime scene, with Colombe’s headless corpse sitting on the chair as if nothing had happened. The next few panels contained the photographs of the doors and the windows, with none of them showing any sign of forced entry. 

They had deduced the killer to have entered through the open window itself. There were no external means used to climb up the window. And judging by its height, which was about 4 feet 6 inches, the killer ought to be somewhere near 5 feet 3 inches or above. Still, it was a hunch, one that didn’t increase their chances of finding the killer by much.

The next panels seemed to have caught Marinette’s attention, though. 

“What is with these pics, Adrien? Tinged a little blue, with these blue puddles lying around at different places?” 

“Hmm? Oh, they are photographs from my memory,” Adrien replied, shrugging. “Those blue puddles over there are the thirium spots.”

“Ah, I see.” The woman kept staring at the photos for a good minute or two, before letting out a sigh. “No, they do not contain anything else. We have hit a wall.”

Adrien closed the windows and bent to shut the computer down. They had indeed reached a dead end. The killer had thought everything so minutely that there wasn’t a way to get to them.

“I hate to say this, but…” Marinette mumbled. “This game will now proceed for us only when the killer plays their next move.”

Adrien hung his head low. Marinette was sadly right.

“Anyways,” Marinette rolled her neck before moving over to her desk and grabbing her jacket. “I guess we should get going, hmm? It’s getting late.”

He nodded, getting up from his seat and following Marinette out the cabin towards the car that awaited them outside.

* * *

Marinette looked away from the road for a moment to glance at Adrien. He was leaning against the door, cheek squished against the window as he stared into nothingness. As the colourful city lights danced on his face, he looked like the epitome of serenity.

His LED that continuously cycled to change colours between blue and yellow told an entirely different story. 

It hurt her heart to see him morose like this. Yes, she knew there was nothing they could do about the case, and she realised how frustrating it was to wait for the killer’s next move in order to gather even the smallest of clue, and it was horrendous seeing the innocent people of your species being murdered in cold blood, but… 

It wasn’t going to do anyone any good to just sit by and sulk around it. And Marinette was going to tell him that.

“Hey.”

Adrien jerked out of his thoughts, looking at her questioningly.

Marinette looked back to the road, speaking as she drove. “You... you do know that sitting there and thinking unnecessarily about things is going to overheat your system, right?”

She saw him smile slightly out of the corner of her eye. “I assure you Detective, I am one tough metal guy.”

“Metal you sure are,” she jokingly quipped. “Also, what did we say about the names, hmm?”

“Ah, my slip.” Adrien smiled at her thankfully, “Though, thanks for showing concern, Marinette.”

She pulled on the brakes. They had arrived at the apartment. 

Turning in her seat to face him, Marinette spoke in a serious tone, “Adrien, of course I will show concern for you. I am…” 

She took a deep breath in, before smiling at him. The first real smile she had had in _years_ . “I _am_ your friend, right?”

He looked stumped for a moment, before a grin spread on his face. “Yes, yes! You are my friend. One of the closest and..” Adrien sighed and slumped in his seat, staring at the roof of the car. “My bestest human friend…”

Marinette couldn’t help but adore the look on his face. Chuckling, she unbuckled herself from her seat. “Bestest ain’t a word, kitty. Thought being an android made you smarter.”

She got out of her car and turned to see Adrien following suit. “Bugaboo, I know it isn’t a word. But well, let’s just say I got into a Shakespeare mood today,” he said with a wink.

Marinette rolled her eyes as she pulled at her hair tie, getting her hair out of the ponytail and letting it down. “Ha ha very funny. Anyways,” she reached into her pocket and fished out the apartment keys. She handed them over to him, along with her ID card, gun and handcuffs. “Here, you get home, I have some places to be. Will be back by midnight.”

Adrien’s LED flickered yellow. “Um, going exactly where, Marinette? If you don’t mind me asking?”

Marinette tucked a stray strand of hair behind her hair. Should she tell him? Did she actually have the strength to reveal her obscure past, something she had strived to bury deep within her emotions? The bigger question, when she hadn’t told her past friends anything about her past, could she really entrust her secrets with Adrien? She did trust him, but…

“I... I’m just going to a local bar. To cool off some steam.”

Being vague was the best in both of their interests. It wasn’t like she was lying, after all.

“I... okay.”

She gave him a small wave. “I guess I’ll get going then. Text me if you need something.”

As she turned to walk away, Adrien stopped her. “Marinette, wait!”

She looked at him over her shoulder, only to find him rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled at her sheepishly. “I... I don’t have your number.”

Surprised at his statement, the woman turned around and crossed her arms over her chest, smirking at him. “I might be dumb regarding android matters, but not enough to not know that you could have taken my number from the NYPD database, Adrien.”

He grinned at her. “Now where’s the fun in that? Asking a lady for her number has a different charm, doesn’t it?”

She had not expected his flirty comeback. Ducking her head to hide her blush, Marinette fished out her phone from her pocket and tossed it to him, which he caught with ease. “Here, feed my number in your databases,” she directed.

Adrien smiled at her before fixating his attention on the phone. What she saw next made her jaw drop.

His skin had glitched and flickered before peeling back to reveal the white, shiny chassis beneath. His hand glowed a little yellow before turning back to white, and a moment later, the skin moved back to its place.

He must have caught her staring, for he immediately spoke up as he extended the phone towards her. “I know this seems new, but well, I just interfaced with your phone. When interfacing, the skin pulls back to allow better contact and speedy data transfer.”

“I... I see.” Marinette took back her phone from him and pocketed it. Then giving him a small wave again, she walked in the direction of her destination.

The day had been extremely weird, and she really needed some time for herself to think things out properly.

* * *

Adrien stared at the retreating figure of his partner, a multitude of unanswered questions and doubts swimming in his mind. He knew why she was going to the local bar; well he at least had a hunch. It was some kind of celebration she wanted to have for that person in her doodle, the mysterious L.C.

As Adrien walked inside the building towards the apartment he shared with Marinette, he thought over things. Surely this L.C. must have been an important part of his partner’s life; she was designing something for this person and their name had triggered a panic attack in her. Plus, Connor had once told him — if humans wanted to forget their past, they simply went to the bar. No doubt the Detective had done the same.

As he unlocked the door, Adrien’s thoughts wandered over to Marinette. Especially when she had pulled her hair down. Sure, her black ensemble topped by the red leather jacket and red boots made her look pretty, giving her the look of a Ladybug, but with her hair down, she looked downright gorgeous. And then the smile she had given him back in the car, her first real smile that he had seen, the one that reached her eyes and made them sparkle like diamonds…

Adrien sighed. He just wished he had met her back then, back when she had been a different woman. Would she have hated him at first sight then? Maybe they would have been friends, right from the start. Who knows, maybe something more than friends…

No. He wasn’t going to go down that train of thought. Sighing as he shook his head, the blond put his partner’s belongings on the center table. Whenever she would come back, they would be easily accessible to her.

But… what did people do in bars actually, aside from drinking? ‘Cause if drinking was the only thing they did, then Marinette could have just bought a bottle and spent the evening at home.

A quick search on Google showed him what happened in bars. People singing, dancing, merry-making. Getting to know each other, sometimes a bit _too much_ …

Closing the video of smooching couples (something Adrien definitely didn’t want to witness), Adrien flopped back on the couch. So that’s why Marinette had been there. To get company.

Wasn’t he good enough himself? Was she bored by his presence? After all her standoffish attitude, did she really seek to meet someone, to talk to them, to-to get to know them closely? Or maybe, _very_ closely?

**Error**

**Program LED.exe glitched**

Huh? This was new.

Adrien immediately got up and stumbled to the mirror in his room. In his haste, he didn’t bother to turn the lights on. However, what he witnessed in the mirror made his heart stutter.

His LED was pulsating in a bright color. A bright, deep _orange._

This was rare, very rare. He had seen it happen only one other time, and that too happened with Nines, not himself.

* * *

_“This case you got is tricky as hell,” Adrien commented, scanning over the colourful report page that was made of more sticky notes than actual report. “And why do people highlight almost every single word on the damned page?”_

_“Helps them solve cases, or at least that’s what Gavin says,” Nines replied, shrugging._

_The duo were discussing the latest case that the RK900 had received from the Chief of the Detroit Central Police Department, Jeffrey Fowler. A typical homicide case, but the murderer sure seemed smart. At least smart enough to trick the detectives who had earlier handled their case._

_So right now, the two androids were walking towards Nines’ cabin, discussing all the leads that the previous officers had collected. That’s when Adrien spotted something strange._

_“Hey, speaking of Gavin,” the blond nudged Nines, taking his attention from the case file, before continuing. “Who’s that woman over there with him?”_

_Nines looked to where the other android was pointing, and sure enough, there was a woman with his boyfriend._

_A woman who was clearly flirting with Gavin and making him uncomfortable._

_“The hell? Who is she? And why is she hitting on Gavin?”_

_Adrien casually shrugged. “Seems like the new lady we got in the Forensics department two days ago. And I guess she’s unaware about yours and Gavin’s relationship.”_

_“Well,” Nines muttered darkly, thrusting the case file in Adrien’s hands. “She will soon be aware.”_

_Adrien was about to tease Nines about being the overprotective boyfriend when he saw it._

_Nines LED had cycled from a calm blue to a mix of tensed yellow and bright orange._

_What was that supposed to mean?_

_Adrien watched as Nines walked over to the cabin. He nearly sighed in adoration when Gavin’s face lit up on catching the sight of Nines. He let out a small whoop as Nines shoved past the woman, walked over to Gavin and kissed him, right on the mouth. And Gavin returned the kiss eagerly._

_He finally let out a snigger at the woman’s shocked expression, as the couple simultaneously gave her the middle finger without even breaking from the kiss._

* * *

Adrien had later learned the meaning of the mysterious colour.

Orange meant… jealousy.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Who would he be jealous for? Marinette? And why? ‘Cause he could not tolerate the image of her laughing with someone else, touching them, kissin—

No. Marinette had just gone to the bar to cool off some steam. Nothing else. 

Plus, he wasn’t jealous. He couldn’t _be_ jealous. He admired Marinette, and his jealousy was just something spontaneous. He wasn’t anyone to meddle in her personal affairs, and hence was calm and serene. Her personal life didn’t affect him, right?

Right?

The unchanging, deep orange hue of his LED that filled up the entire room… it begged to say something else, something entirely different.

* * *

Jacob had been out on a stroll when he heard the squealing of tires. He stopped to ponder about the noise. What could be the reason for that screeching sound?

He hurriedly looked around, but found no car in sight. Then, suddenly a loud crashing noise followed by a crunching made him jump. It had come from the bend in the road that was just up ahead. He quickly dashed over to it, only to be met with a horrific sight.

A car had crashed into a tree, and it was, to say the least, totally mangled. The hood of the car was completely crushed against the tree. Glass shards littered the ground and fragments of metal were intertwined with them.

Adrenaline pumping through him, Jacob hurriedly rushed over to the crash to look inside for survivors. There was a woman in the driver’s seat who had sustained a serious head injury. There was a nasty crack in the windshield and her head had smashed against it. Ruby red blood dripped from the deep gash, matting her dyed pink hair and making her entire dress bloodied. Her brown eyes were open wide, face frozen in terror. He bent over to place a finger on her pulse. Nothing.

She was gone. The crash had taken her life. Just as he was processing this fact, he heard someone sniffling.

Jacob looked around, trying to locate the source of the sounds when he finally caught sight of a bundle laying a few feet away from the car. He rushed over to it and picked it up gently. It was a little girl, no more than five years old, with her bloody hair matted to her face. Cuts and scrapes lined her chocolate skin, which was pale. Jacob could see her horrified chocolate brown eyes swimming behind tears, and it made his heart clench. 

“Mum..” she sniffled, “Mum.. thr-threw me… crash..”

That was all the little girl muttered before her eyes rolled back in her head. Hurriedly, Jacob placed a finger on her neck. The pulse, though faint and weak, was still there. Relief flooded through him. She was going to survive this. She had to. He would ensure it.

The smell of gasoline started to fill the air, causing him to fill with dread. He knew he had to escape quickly. Shifting the bundle in his arms to make the unconscious girl as comfortable as possible, Jacob rushed out of the place, stumbling over bushes and shrubbery. He had just made it to a safe distance when…

**_BOOM!_ **

The shockwave sent him flying to the ground, and he immediately cradled the girl’s head to prevent any further injuries. With his body shielding her from the impact, Jacob looked over his back to see the car now alight with flames. Orange and red flames licked at the metal, and the stench of burning flesh started to fill the air. It was an image he was never going to be able to get out of his head. It was seared into his memory. Forever.

Pushing himself up on his feet, Jacob walked in the direction of Rose’s home, which was nearby. He would call the necessary authorities, tell them what had happened and let them do their jobs. As for the little girl tucked in his arms…

The man smiled down at the bundle, caressing her hair before kissing the child’s brow. 

“Don’t worry, little one. Let’s get you fixed and find your family.”


	8. A Guardian Angel And A Talk About Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Who are you?”
> 
> “Call me Plagg, nice to meet you. I am a part of you, kid. Someone who magically helps sort out your thoughts and rationalise them. You can say, I am like a metamorphosis of your program and your guardian angel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya amigos! Chapter 8's here and I have a feeling you guys are gonna love it! The story is progressing so well and I'm really glad you guys are following along <3 And your comments and kudos make my day. A shoutout to my beta readers KhanOfAllOrcs and MiaBrown, the story would not have been possible without you guys!! Also, dear readers, if you didn't know already, do check out Chapter 2 and Chapter 5 for some awesome fanart by Art-the-f-up! Seriously dude, your fanarts make my day!!
> 
> As of this story, I'm really trying my best to have chapters written in advance so that the flow doesn't break, and I really don't want 2043 to come to a standstill at all. Hence, there's a slight change in the update schedule, and I will now be updating on weekends on a biweekly basis.
> 
> Thank you so much for being patient and calm with me <3 I really love you guys! And with this, let's move on to the story!!
> 
>  **Warnings:** None

The doorbell chimed, and Rose Lavillant hurried to the door. She was shocked to discover who the visitor was.

“Jacob?”

The man smiled at her, shifting the bundle he held in his arms. “Hey Rose, mind if I come in?”

“Yeah, sure!” The petite blonde moved aside, giving her friend room to get himself into the house. She looked at him curiously, her gaze moving from the dirty pink huddled-up blanket he held, to his face.

Jacob moved past the living area towards a small room at the end of the hallway, one that Rose had specially set up for dealing with medical stuff. Being a practicing doctor meant that she always had to be ready in case of any medical emergencies.

She followed him into the room, curiously watching as Jacob moved over to the bed that lay in one corner of the room. He gently placed the blanket there and unwrapped it. Despite the cases she had dealt with on a daily basis, Rose couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her lips at the sight of the small, unconscious child covered in cuts and bruises and caked in dry blood.

Jacob turned to face her. “I was on a stroll in the neighbourhood when I heard a car crash. Ran to the spot as fast as I could, only to find a car rammed into a tree. It was just this kid and a lady in there, most probably her mom. From what this little one spoke, her mom probably tossed her out of the car seconds before the accident happened. I immediately brought her here for treatment.”

“What about the mom?” The question escaped her tongue before she even knew it.

The way Jacob’s grey eyes went downcast followed by the slight shake of his head said enough. The lady had not survived.

“I will... I will go inform the police, and ask them to find this kid’s family.” Saying so, Jacob excused himself from the room.

Rose looked over at the little child that lay on the bed, her heart welling up with emotion. She could not even imagine the trauma that the little girl had gone through.

But right now, duty called her. Blinking the tears away from her eyes, she grabbed the medical kit from the shelf and set to her mission to save the little angel’s life.

* * *

After having made the necessary phone calls to the NYPD and being assured that the police were on their way, Jacob sat down on the sofa heavily. He didn’t feel distraught, or horrified, or sick. Rather, he felt… numb. Curiously numb and cold and clammy.

It was just like the time when he had had to cremate his best friend, his honorary brother. It was the feeling as if the ground was pulling him in, yet he remained where he was. 

He’d simply been out on a stroll. Simply out to clear his thoughts. And in a matter of a few minutes, he'd seen a woman die, and a child who had barely survived the crash. The situation seemed so random, so cruel, so thoughtless. And still, the mother’s response to it was frustratingly sensible.

A mother had given up her life just so her kid could see the break of the dawn. She had sacrificed herself to give her child a new life, even though it would be one full with the horrors and trauma of death. 

He just really wanted to laugh and cry at the sick, twisted ways in which fate worked.

A tap on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts. He looked up to meet a familiar pair of concerned amber orbs staring at him, as Juleka handed him a glass of water.

Smiling at her thankfully as he took the glass, Jacob scooted a bit to the side on the sofa, making some room for her. He patted the seat beside him, indicating the woman to sit.

She did, and looked down, staring intently at her interlocked hands that sat in her lap.

Downing the water in one go, Jacob placed the empty glass on the table, before shifting a bit in his place so that he was facing his friend. She must have seen him change his positions, for she too shifted in her seat, facing him completely.

Smiling, he waved at her, before shaping his hands into a “C”, such that the thumbs were alongside and the knuckles were touching. He rolled them forward till the palms were up. Finally, he pointed at Juleka, his eyebrows lifting up slightly in a friendly gesture. 

_How are you?_

She smiled, before placing her thumb on her chest, her fingers splaying out to show all five fingers. She pointed at him, her eyebrows lifting slightly up in question.

_Fine. You?_

Jacob sighed. Well, saying he was fine would be a lie, so he opted for a half-truth. He signed his statement to her, before placing his next question.

_I will be better. You want me to talk or is it comfortable with the sign language?”_

_Talking is okay. I love hearing people speak._

He smiled, before pulling his eyebrows up in a teasing manner. “How is it going with Rose?”

Juleka blushed at his question. Smiling coyly, she outstretched her right hand and placed it on her chin, before moving in out and down in an arc and placing it on her left hand, palm facing up.

_Good._

Jacob smiled at her. Juleka returned the sentiment before her face grew sombre. Her eyebrows furrowed a bit as her expression became questioning

_Who was that girl you brought in? I saw Rose patching her up._

“Oh, that kid? She was involved in an accident. Only survivor,” he told her. She nodded somberly.

_Ah, I see._

He saw her eyes trail to the pictures that hung on the wall. Pictures of her, Rose, Jacob and Luka. Her brother and Jacob’s best friend.

Juleka tapped on his shoulder, catching his attention.

_I... miss him a lot. Really._

He put his hand on hers, squeezing it lightly.

“Me too, Jules. Me too.”

They stayed like that, the silence speaking more than words could ever convey. Even though the loss was something that they had faced three years ago, they had never actually come out of it. 

And while they had still been coping with it a year later, the sudden disappearance of Luka’s fiancée had come as a surprising aftershock. And that was why Jacob was intent on finding her again. To recollect the old memories they shared, to restore the small family they once had.

A knock on the front door removed the comfortable blanket of silence, and Jacob stood up. “I will go get the door.” She nodded in return.

Two NYPD officers stood at the door in uniform.

“Jacob Miller?” the taller and well-built one out of the two asked, to which Jacob nodded.

“Officer Le Chien Kim from the NYPD,” the Officer introduced himself, showing Jacob his ID card. “And this over here is my android partner and friend, Max Kanté.” He gestured to the shorter, dark-skinned android who stood by his side. “We are here regarding the car accident you informed us about.”

“Ah, yes, officers, the crash happened over there,” Jacob pointed in the direction of the crash site, before stepping out of the door. “Let me guide you over ther-”

“Worry not, Mr. Miller. Another team already has it covered. We are here for the child.”

“I see. Come inside, please.”

Jacob walked inside, the officers following him. He led them into the house and towards the room where Rose was providing the child much-needed medical assistance. 

Juleka was in the room too, watching over her girlfriend as she bandaged up the little girl. On hearing footsteps, the doctor immediately turned around to face the men and put a finger to her lips in a shushing motion.

Juleka immediately got up and walked out of the room, motioning for others to follow. They got to the living room, and then, she immediately began signing to them what Rose had wanted to convey.

“The child, thankfully, only has cuts and scrapes with a minor head injury, apparently caused by a fall,” Jacob translated for Juleka, conveying her words to the officers. “The blanket majorly cushioned her fall. Head injuries bleed a lot, but being brought on time, she has not lost much blood. She is just unconscious, and needs to rest.”

“I see,” Officer Kim spoke as he rubbed his chin in thought, before turning to his partner. “What do you say we do next, Max?”

“I say, I can scan the kid from a distance and find out from the citizen database records if she has any family who can take care of her.”

“That’s a nice idea, bud.”

Led by Juleka, the two officers once again found themselves in the medical room.

“Ms. Rose,” Max said to the petite blonde in a hushed voice, “we need to scan the kid to get details about her family.”

“I see, officer. But please make sure not to disturb her. The little girl badly needs her rest.”

“Of course.”

Max leaned over the girl and stared at her. No one in the room spoke a word, but Jacob was sure that had the android officer had a LED, it would have been pulsating a sunny yellow at the moment. 

After what seemed like a minute or two, the android straightened up and walked back to his comrade.

“Turns out the girl’s name is Manon Chamack, aged 5. Only registered guardian and parent, Nadja Chamack, works as a news reporter. Father died two years back. No extended family listed, neither from the mother’s nor the father’s side, at least not in the database I have. This is the mother’s photograph that I have.”

Max opened his palm, which now functioned as a screen and showed the image of a petite, pink-haired woman with big, brown eyes. The same woman whose horror-stricken death face Jacob had witnessed earlier in the night.

“It’s-it’s this lady,” he stammered as his worst fears were confirmed. Somehow, despite the prior knowledge, the truth managed to hit him in the gut hard. “She was the one at the driver’s seat. And… she died moments after the crash happened.”

“Oh dear,” Officer Kim sighed. “This means that unless someone comes to claim their guardianship on her, the child has no one to look after her. We will have to get her to foster care for the time being. I seriously hate this part of the job.”

Jacob turned to look at the kid, Manon. She was sleeping peacefully, a small smile etched on her face. She was blissfully unaware of the loss she had just faced. He shivered at the thought of her going into foster care. Foster care would etch into her the knowledge of the loss she had suffered, and he didn’t want that to happen.

“Uhm, sir,” Jacob called to the officer, gaining his attention. “If someone offers to care for Manon until a relative comes to claim their guardianship over her, will that be enough to not send her to foster care?”

“Well, if someone agrees to take care of her for the time being we run a search for her extended relatives—”

“I will take care of her,” Jacob cut the Officer off. “I will be her temporary Guardian for the time being.”

“Are you… are you sure about it, sir?”

He looked at Manon’s sleeping form and couldn’t help the smile that stretched on his face.

“I am.”

* * *

Adrien sighed as he roamed in his Zen Garden, kicking absent-mindedly at a stone. What was happening to him? Why were his emotions going haywire? Why did he feel jealous? Especially since there wasn’t any reason?

An image of Marinette kissing a faceless stranger suddenly glitched in front of him.

Something came over him, and the next thing he knew, he was punching at the offending stranger. Viciously. The image glitched and deformed, before bursting and finally disintegrating into a million of colourful pixels.

He blinked owlishly, taking a moment to comprehend what had just happened. What was that feeling? It sure wasn’t jealousy… it was something more extreme. Something more vicious and demanding. Something that he sure didn’t like.

Letting out a frustrated groan, he plopped on the grass under a tree, holding his face in his hands. Emotions were just so… so complicated.

“Welcome to the world of living, kid.”

Adrien looked up at the voice, and scrambled back with a yelp. Hanging upside down from a branch of the tree was a person with features eerily similar to his. Same face structure, same green eyes, same hairstyle. The only difference was the other person’s darker skin tone and his jet black hair with green highlights. And of course the impish grin that showed off his pointy, sparkling teeth.

“Wh-who are you?” Adrien asked, scampering back as he hurriedly stood up.

“Call me Plagg, nice to meet you.”

The strange boy jumped down from his perch, landing on the ground in a squat. As he got up, Adrien noticed him to be wearing the same clothes he wore to work — a green shirt, black pants and black leather jacket. Plagg grinned mischievously at him, his acidic green eyes practically glowing.

“I am a part of you, kid. Someone who magically helps sort out your thoughts and rationalise them. I know your dreams, I know your desires. And even correct you when you are inching towards the den of sin,” he said with a chuckle, waggling his eyebrows as he wiggled his fingers.

Adrien blushed at the last comment, but then cocked his eyebrow. “So, something akin to a genie in the lamp?”

“What?” Plagg spluttered as he crossed his arms over his chest, clearly not having expected that comparison. “That’s horrendous! Scandalous! I am an AI, and you compare me to a genie?!”

“Well, genies are good,” Adrien shrugged.

“And fictional,” Plagg said, before massaging his brow. “Whatever. I know you are dumb. You can say, I am like a metamorphosis of your program.”

“I see.” Adrien held his chin in thought. “So it was you who threw those flashbacks at me, right?”

“Yup.”

“And the one who manages the system error alerts and warnings and stuff?”

“Yup yup.”

“And the imp who has the nerve to sometimes throw at me a series of instructions in French?!”

“Oh that!” Plagg cackled. “Yup, it was all me. Didn’t you notice a similarity between the French commands, though?”

“That they were related to Marinette? Of course I did.” Adrien said. “And I get that you did it because she is French. What I don’t get is why go through all that trouble?”

“Why, don’t you appreciate the labor I do to help separate the tasks that are specified to your girlfriend?”

Plagg held his sides and laughed and wheezed as Adrien spluttered.

“Ma-Marinette.. She-she is just a friend!”

“Oh really?” The sly boy cocked an eyebrow before holding out his fingers. “She is your friend, right?”

“Y-yeah?”

“She is also a girl, true?”

“Yes…” Adrien’s eyes bugged out at the implication. “ **_THAT DOESN’T MEAN SHE IS MY GIRLFRIEND!_ **”

“Tell that to someone who doesn’t live in your head, kid.”

Adrien hid his face in his hands, letting out a groan. Having someone in your headspace was not a cool thing. At all.

Plagg of course heard his thoughts, for the next moment, the dark-haired prankster was linking his arm through Adrien’s. 

“Hey kid, it’s not like you haven’t had someone in your headspace before. Remember Amanda Stern?”

Adrien immediately unlinked his arm from Plagg’s.

Which android did not know about Amanda Stern? The AI with an old, experienced look and a voice that dripped with faux concern. The AI who used her motherly façade to stop the androids from giving in to their software instabilities and tried her best to prevent them from becoming deviants. The AI who served as a medium between an android and their creator, the vile CyberLife.

Was Plagg just like Amanda? Was his fun, chaotic, goofball personality a façade to lure Adrien in, only to then force him back to machine ways? The thought itself made Adrien’s lip curl up into a snarl.

Plagg must have noticed his mood change, for he immediately put his hands out in a gesture of surrender. 

“Oh damn, kid, no no no. I am nothing like that witch, I swear! I am more of a guiding angel to you,” he blubbered. “RA9 forbid if I ever try to coax you back to machine ways! I was born the day you became a deviant, dumbass. You becoming a machine would mean the death of me! Why would I want you to become a machine again?”

“How do I know that I should trust you?” Adrien asked, his voice threateningly low.

The AI merely shrugged. “You just have to take the leap of faith.”

Adrien looked at Plagg with a narrowed gaze, before relaxing as he let out a sigh. “Guess I have no other option.”

Saying so, he turned on his heel, resuming his walk down the stone path. Judging by the soft footfalls behind him, Plagg was definitely following.

The two walked in a comfortable silence, neither saying anything for a while. Finally, it was Plagg who tried to initiate a talk. 

“I was napping when I felt something burst… like colourful pixels disintegrating. I know it was a part of your thoughts but… What exactly was that?”

Adrien didn’t reply, simply lowered his gaze. He halted in his steps, debating whether to tell Plagg or not.

“Tell me what? Kid?”

Dang the headspace connection.

Adrien turned to look into the imploring green eyes that gazed at him, and tried to think of the best way to present the problem he was having with emotions. But telling the problem would basically mean admitting that he had feelings for Marinette, which was untrue and…

“Don’t worry about me teasing you if the matter is serious, Adrien.”

Something in his voice made him feel relieved, and Adrien finally found the courage to share the problem with the AI.

“So, there was this image that was in front of me… of someone... being with Marinette… and, I dunno what happened but… it was like a surge of protectiveness had come over me, but… but it was intense. Very intense. Something that reminded me… reminded me of the times when I was… a machine… following what my code ordered and… I don’t know, Plagg! For a moment I felt like I was back to being… back to being Fél-”

“Stop,” Plagg put out a hand, immediately shushing Adrien. “Stop that train of thought right there. You are not Félix anymore, you are _Adrien_. You are your own person, with your own emotions, own feelings, own will. You don’t have a goddamn code you need to follow, kid!”

“But… the battle instinct… the fight instinct… I punched that image blindly, Plagg! As if… as if I wanted to just finish that person and…”

“It’s your inbuilt program messing up your emotions, kid. Nothing more. Your surge of protectiveness was just over-fuelled. You know how humans have natural instincts to specific things?”

At Adrien’s confused nod, Plagg continued. “Just like that, your program is your natural instinct, kid. You certainly have emotions for Marinette, no matter how much you deny it. Call it respect, call it the sickening human term of having a crush, I don’t care. The point is, seeing her with someone else made protectiveness flare up in you. And given your natural encoded instinct to fight, well,” the AI half-shrugged. “That was your reaction. As easy as that.”

Adrien ran his fingers through his hair, understanding the situation yet finding it frustrating. “But how do I control this, Plagg? I mean, I can’t simply go up and break someone’s nose just because they touched Marinette and CyberLife made me a fighter and this is just so confusing…”

“Control your emotions, kid.”

The android looked at Plagg as if he had spoken in the tongue of some other planet.

“Emotions can fuel your actions, and even lead astray your decisions. Don’t let them get in the way of your thinking. Whatever you feel for Marinette, just… give it time. Let it sort itself out. And if you ever feel yourself getting jealous, or overreacting, or any stuff like that, try the human tactics of breathing exercises. I know you are an android but it would be enough to derail your thoughts off that path, and that’s what we want, right?”

Adrien mused for a moment on the AI’s words, before letting a soft smile grace his features as he nodded.

“Right.”

Adrien started to walk again, Plagg by his side. After a few moments of silence, the AI chuckled.

“You just updated your LED program, kid? Never knew the colors freaked you out that much.”

Adrien half-shrugged, a small smile on his face. “Can’t have people wondering why I have a disco light on my head. Though, could you run a diagnosis if the program’s all updated and set?”

“Sure, give me a moment.” Saying so, the AI closed his eyes, and Adrien could feel the diagnostics running in his system. After a minute, Plagg blinked owlishly at him, before smirking impishly.

“All programs are good, no faults detected. Though you might want to turn on your notification settings, there’s an unread message from your girl friend.”

Adrien chuckled as he opened up the screen of the messaging application in a distance, glancing at Plagg. “What did I tell you about Marinette and me just being friends?”

Plagg raised his hands in mock surrender. “Well, I meant that she is your female friend. You are the one to take the implications the other way, not my fault!”

Adrien laughed, before turning his attention to the screen. There was one unread text from Marinette.

**Marinette:** Happy Bdayyy Adren!!    
  


Plagg cackled in the background, but Adrien ignored him. The way the text was sent screamed about how much the Detective was actually drunk.

He quickly typed a reply back

**Adrien:** Thanks for the sentiment Marinette, but today is not my birthday.    
  


The reply was immediate.

**Marinette:** It isn’t???    
  
**Marinette:** Ooooo    
  
**Marinette:** Well, happy bday in advanceeeee!    
  
**Adrien:** Marinette.    
  
**Adrien:** How much did you drink?    
  
**Adrien:** Marinette??    
  


The android sighed, closing off the messaging window and turning on his notification settings just in case the Detective messaged back. She seemed to be rather drunk. He checked the time.

**System time: 01:15**

For the love of RA9, he hadn’t known where the time had gone. Given Marinette’s tipsy state, Adrien wondered how she would make it home. A quick weather check told him that it was going to rain soon. And that was when he remembered that she had left her gun with him, for off-duty officers couldn’t keep them. Plus, the bars seemingly didn’t allow them.

“Then what are you waiting for? For me to kick your ass out of here?” Plagg asked nonchalantly as he checked his nails.

Adrien clenched his hair in frustration at his unawareness and stupidity. Shooting Plagg a quick thanks, he immediately transitioned out of his thoughts and back into the real world. 

Getting up from the bed and immediately setting up the GPS, Adrien set on tracking her as he simultaneously opened the cupboard to fish out a pair of casuals. Throwing on his black striped undershirt, a white overshirt and a pair of blue jeans, he checked himself in the mirror.

His attention was caught by his pulsing blue-yellow LED. 

Gosh, he needed some way to cover it. Post revolution, the law might state androids to be equal to humans, but many people still were wary of them. Given that Adrien couldn’t take his gun to the bar, and that places like the one he was going to tended to have people who looked for any chance to pick a fight, Adrien didn’t want his identity to be the cause of a brawl. 

Looking around in the cupboard, he sighed in relief at finding a knitted blue scarf and beanie. It was a bit dirty, probably from having been kept locked up for so long. The material felt soft in his hands, and he wondered how much time and devotion the creator had put into it, as it was clearly hand made.

Turning to the mirror, Adrien slowly put the beanie on. It snuggled to his head perfectly, his messy blond locks peeking out from underneath it. And it hid his LED completely, serving its purpose.

He gingerly wrapped the scarf around his neck, a faint sense of cinnamon and pastries and sugar hitting his olfactory sensors. It smelled delicious, it smelled wonderful, it smelled like… home. Sighing softly, he rubbed the soft scarf against his face, nuzzling the warmth it offered. That’s when his fingers brushed against a design in the fabric.

He turned it to find a small, loopy ‘M’ engraved in gold threads on the blue wool.

His GPS pinged, making him aware of Marinette’s location. Eyes set in determination, he did one last check before grabbing the keys and an umbrella and heading out of the apartment.

The cat had one tipsy ladybug to catch.

* * *

Adrien looked up at the neon green glow sign outside the mediocre building that glared at him.

**_Neon Sprinkles_ **

He didn’t know a thing about what to do and what not to do. And the big, gruff man that stood outside the closed entrance didn’t look like a friendly person at all.

Adrien tugged at his beanie, pulling it down as he tried to bury his face in the blue scarf. It wasn’t cold exactly, but given the overcast sky and the cold, humid air that was blowing, the scarf and beanie ensemble didn’t seem out of place.

Plus, this place was really making him self-conscious. Later, when Marinette would be sober, he was surely going to demand some much-needed compensation from his partner for forcing him to be here.

Glancing around, he decided to not go inside. RA9 knows what awaited within, and he definitely wasn’t in a mood to find out right now. He placed a call to Marinette.

**Calling Marinette🐞…**

He heard the familiar click of a phone being picked up.

“Hello?” 

Adrien immediately went on alert. It wasn’t the expected snarky, cold and tipsy voice with slight undertones of softness that answered his call. Rather, the voice on the other end was sober, saccharine and a little high-pitched. A voice he had never heard before.

“Who is this? Where’s Marinette?” Adrien asked immediately, masking the concern with steel in his voice.

The person on the other end perked up. “Oh, are you a friend of Marinette’s? I am Lila Rossi. Marinette and I are kind of drinking partners. She just dozed off, so I picked up her phone to answer and…”

“Ms. Rossi,” Adrien immediately cut her off, his concern for Marinette spiking every second, “I am so sorry to be rude and cut you off, but can you please bring Marinette outside? There’s...uh… some place we need to be tomorrow early in the morning, and I don’t want us to be late.”

There was no response for a moment or two, and Adrien could see his stress levels spiking up every second. 

**_Stress level 42 ^_ **

**_Stress level 45 ^_ **

**_Stress level 48 ^_ **

Why was that woman not answering? Where was Marinette and what was happening? 

A shuffling sound caught his attention before Lila’s voice came over the call. “Sorry, had to place the call on hold to get Marinette up. Are you outside?”

“I... yes. Thank you so much,” Adrien couldn’t keep the relief from his tone.

“No problem,” came the reply before the line was cut.

Adjusting his beanie once more, the android started pacing around, fiddling with the umbrella in his hand. Moments later, he heard the sliding doors open and someone stumble out. Adrien immediately turned and walked over to the two ladies, his arms wide open. The brunette woman, the one he assumed to be Lila, gave him a small smile before she took Marinette’s arm off her shoulder. The ravenette stumbled a bit, but then staggered over to Adrien and fell into his arms, snuggling up to him immediately.

Adrien looked up at the woman, smiling in relief as he enclosed his arms around Marinette’s petite frame. “Thank you so much, Miss Rossi. I can’t tell you in words how grateful I am to you. She had me so concerned.”

Lila laughed, a dainty hand coming up to cover her lips as her olive orbs sparkled in the low light. “No worries, I understand. I am glad I was able to help you… Adrien, right?”

“That would be me,” he smiled.

“Nice to meet you. Though I guess I will leave you two now. You do need to get somewhere early in the morning, right?”

“Oh yes, thanks once again, Miss Rossi.”

The woman waved at him before turning to walk in. That’s when Adrien noticed the GPS flash in front of his eyes.

Strangely, Marinette’s phone was moving towards the bar while she was here in his arms, apparently trying to conjoin their drastically different bodies and make herself one with him.

“Miss Rossi!” He called out to the woman, causing her to turn around. “Do you happen to have Marinette’s phone?”

The woman looked surprised for a moment, totally shocked, before checking herself. She gasped and jogged over to him immediately, placing the phone in his outstretched hand.

“I guess I must have forgotten to place it back in her jacket, silly me!” The woman tittered, before turning on her heel and walking back inside quickly.

Adrien kept staring at her retreating form. Was it normal for her to simply thrust the phone into his hand? Why did it seem like she was frustrated that he had actually managed to discover the minuscule error?

“Soft soft, cuddly cuddly.” 

**_Stress level 20 v_ **

Adrien looked down in surprise as Marinette nuzzled him, giggling lightly. Something inside him felt warm all of a sudden, and he felt his thirium pump stutter. Running a quick diagnostic to ensure that the biocomponent wasn’t damaged in any way, Adrien hugged the woman tight, burying his nose in her hair as he held her close.

Under the strong smell of whiskey, tequila, Mojito and Manhattan, he caught the whiff of her natural scent. The one that smelled like sugar and cinnamon and pastries. It was delicious, it was wonderful, it was….

...it was home.

He sighed, suddenly feeling warm and giddy all over, as if his wiring and metal structure had turned to one nice, gooey mush. The scarf wrapped around his neck, the beanie on his head and the woman snuggled up in his arms made him feel wonderful and delighted and…

...alive.

For the first time in many years, he once again felt **_alive_ **.

He held Marinette close, smiling at how she sighed happily in reply. If this was what being alive felt like, then Adrien was never going to give this moment up for anything.

Never ever.


	9. You and Me Against The World?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What do you say, M’Lady? Would you allow me to help you on this journey? To catch you there whenever you stumble? To be the Chat Noir to your Ladybug?”
> 
> “Don’t worry. As long as it is you and me against the world, I won’t mind dancing in the rain at all, Mon Chaton.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warnings:** Mentions of Self-Harm, Descriptions of Murder
> 
> Special thanks to TheAtlantean for helping with the murder scene <3

“The world-sh crazy y’know,” Marinette said as she moved her finger in a circle near her temple, giggling as she staggered on the road.

Adrien gave her a warm smile. His senses were on high alert in case she accidently lost her balance. A happy drunk Marinette was surely a handful.

He decided to humor her. “Oh really, Bugaboo? But wouldn’t that make us crazy too?”

“It wooould…” Marinette drawled out, “but then again, ain’t we crazy, Chaton?”

She immediately tripped and Adrien lurched forward to catch her. She giggled, causing the android to smile again, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at her.

She seemed to catch on to his silent question, for she immediately giggled again before touching his temple. “Seeee, you’re weird cuz you’ve a discolight on your head! And eww, blue is more better than yellow!! Back to blue, back to blue, pleaseeee?”

Adrien chuckled as he straightened her up, his hands resting on her waist to keep her steady. Maybe people in a drunk state were used to speaking a bit too honestly. That certainly helped the slight irritation he felt when she had called his LED a disco light.

Her glossy eyes turned back to his LED and she clapped her hands in glee. “Yay!! It’s happy funny blue again! Let’s have a drink for that!”

Oh god, that wasn’t happening. “No, Marinette. No more drinks for you.”

“Nooo I want drinks!” Marinette wailed, stomping her feet. She tried to stare daggers at him through her dazed gaze. “Manhattan, Tequila, Mojito, Coke, Vodka, and oooh y’know, they even have an android-special alcohol! Y’should try that someday!”

_ Seeing your state, maybe not, _ Adrien thought to himself before letting out a nervous chuckle. “Someday, I guess, Bugaboo. Someday.”

“Well, that’s gonna be purr-fect.”

Did she just… make a cat pun?

Before he could ask her the same, Adrien was caught by surprise as Marinette kissed him on the cheek, winking at him.

What in the name of RA9 was actually happening?

“Ooo! Look at you go all bluey-blue!” the woman cooed, and Adrien immediately tried to will the thirium that rushed to his cheeks back into his system.

Keyword:  _ tried _ .

For Marinette immediately leaned forward and pinched his cheeks, cooing as she moved his head. 

“Look atchu! All bluey-blue! Like a big, cute smurf!”

He pried her hands away from his cheeks, ignoring the misery that filled him at the loss of the warmth of her skin. Though he did get the perfect opportunity to tease her.

“So, I am cute?”

“Cutesy cute!” Marinette squealed, squishing her cheeks with her hands until her lips came out as a pout. “Like… like Raiponce!”

“Raiponce? Is that French?”

“Yes! Y’know French? Maybe French kisses? Hm?” She leaned into him once again, causing Adrien to immediately lean back. As much as he appreciated Marinette’s bold flirting and would love to have another kiss from her, he preferred it for a time when she was sober.

He immediately backtracked his thoughts. What the hell was he even thinking?

Plagg’s cackle in his head was not helping!

“Umm, I do know French, Mari. Though what do you actually mean?”

“Umm, in English, we would call her… Raponjel!”

“Oh, Rapunzel,” Adrien tried his best to control his laughter. Gosh darn, tipsy Marinette was going to be the death of him.

Marinette jumped up and down, nodding her head as she extended her arms as much as she could. “Yess! We just needa givechu long long long long long long --”

“Marinette, that’s too many ‘long’s.”

Adrien was duly ignored. “Long long long long long long hai- **_AAAA!_ ** ”

Marinette tripped once more and Adrien was there just in time to catch her and break her fall.

“Okay, someday we are going to work on that long hair,” the android told her gently as he straightened her up, patting her back lightly as she hiccuped. 

“We can? Like, give chu a wig or somethin’?” Marinette asked, her voice carrying the curiosity of a child.

“Well, more of like I can alter my appearance a bit, but it is something we better discuss when you are sober,” Adrien commented. He held her for a moment and then let his grip go. Marinette stumbled a bit, before tripping over again.

“Woah, easy there!” He grabbed her by the shoulders and straightened her again. Rise in temperature, goofy smile, glossy eyes, stumbling gait, accelerated heartbeat — a quick scan confirmed his suspicions that Marinette was  _ heavily _ drunk. Another quick GPS check highlighted a nearby convenience store.

“Okay, now listen here,” Adrien spoke gently as he leaned Marinette against the wall of a house. “Stay and don’t go anywhere, okay?” The woman didn’t answer, merely let out a sigh as she leaned further into the wall.

“Marinette,” he spoke a little sternly, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her lightly, causing her to stir. “Listen, no sleeping. I am going to get some water and be right back. Stay here and don’t go anywhere, okay?”

“Mhmm,” she whispered, squashing her cheek against the wall. “glace froide, très agréable!”

He wanted to tell her that it was a wall and not a block of ice like she was thinking, but then he decided against it. Giving her a quick look over, Adrien backed off and dashed in the direction of the store indicated on the GPS.

Thankfully it wasn’t that far away, just round the corner. Quickly buying a bottle of water, he rushed back to Marinette, who was thankfully still by the wall.

Though he had no idea why she was humming a totally random song to it.

“Marinette? Mari? Hey?” Adrien shook her lightly, trying to peel her off the wall. But by some strange miraculous force, she held onto it as if her life depended on it.

“Marinette?!”

“I am not done yet! Wall-E, tell this kitty to go!”

“I am not a cat, M’Lady, and that’s not Wall-E. Wall-E was an animated character, and he was a cute robot.”

Seeing his efforts were going in vain, Adrien finally wrapped his arms around Marinette’s waist and hoisted her up on his shoulder before moving away from the wall and putting her down.

“Hey you jealous cat! Wall-E was enjoying the song! Say sorry to Wall-E, now!”

“I--what?”

Marinette stomped her foot, crossing her arms and making a tantrum worse than a five-year-old kid. “Say sorry to Wall-E, now!”

Oh gosh, what had he done to deal with this mess? 

Rubbing his eyebrows in exasperation, Adrien quickly turned to the wall. “Sorry, wall.”

“Wall-E!”

“ _ Wall-E _ ,” he stressed, before turning back to the tipsy woman. “Okay, what nice song was it?”

“One that wash written for me by…” Marinette hiccuped something incomprehensible, before squinting her eyes at him.

“H-eeeeyyy you! You’re supposed to be a princess, where’sh your frying pan, huh?”

He really had no idea what the hell was happening, but thought it best to just go along with it.

“I am putting it to good use by making us a nice omelette, but you need to get a bit sober first. Here, have some water.”

He passed her the bottle, and she took it from him. As she eyed it suspiciously, Adrien opened his mouth to reassure her that it wasn’t poisone--

The bottle went flying down the road, and that was when Adrien decided never to let Marinette drink. Ever again.

“Marinette.” He went over to fetch the bottle, returning and giving her an unimpressed stare.

She crossed her arms, pouting. “You only said, no drinking.”

“I am sorry, okay? Drink  _ this _ . To your heart’s content,” Adrien pushed the water bottle in her hands, crossing his arms to imply that he wasn’t going to tolerate any nonsense.

Marinette looked at him, her eyes holding a challenging look. It would have been effective had she not had that goofy smile on her face.

Slowly uncapping the bottle, Adrien watched as the woman took a big gulp.

And then pushed the bottle back to him while making a face.

“What happened?”

“It’s too bland,” Marinette commented, sticking her tongue out. “I don’t wanna drink.”

“But you need to be a little bit sober before we start walking.”

“I don’t wanna! I’ll shue you for forcing yourself on me!” Marinette protested, shaking her head furiously.

“Okay, okay, you don’t have to drink water and I’m not forcing myself anywhere,” Adrien spoke quickly, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. “Happy now?”

Marinette giggled before scampering down the road. “Yes!”

Adrien heaved a sigh of relief as he jogged after her, feeling it safer to start a conversation with her rather than dealing with her incomprehensible mood swings. 

“Okay, so you told me why I am crazy. But why are you crazy, Marinette? And hey, come back here that’s not the footpath!”

He pulled her back into the lane and on the inner side of the sidewalk, just so that she didn’t scamper off again. With that dopey smile of hers and those squeaking, muffled laughs, she looked more like a mouse than a ladybug to him at that moment.

“Me crazy cause I’m a … a….”

Adrien noticed with delight as Marinette squinted her eyes till they were almost shut. She seemed to be thinking hard, very hard on the word that troubled her. And then suddenly her face brightened.

“I am a hippo!”

Adrien barely avoided running straight into a lamppost.

“A-A what, Mari?” He asked, trying and failing to stop sniggering. Marinette’s lithe figure… and a hippo… Adrien really couldn’t help himself.

His tipsy partner crossed her arms tight, glaring daggers at him. She was clearly unimpressed. 

“Whatzo funny, huh? I’m a crying hippo! The one who says not to do something, and then does the same thing!”

Oh goodness. He knew over 200,000 words in the English language, and yet couldn’t have made the connections between words that she had made.

“You mean a hypocrite, Mari?” Adrien gently suggested, taking note of her pouty expression.

Her face glimmered once more. “Yesh! Hippocryte!”

He didn’t bother to correct her. “How are you a hypocrite, Bug? I can’t imagine you like that.”

Marinette shook her head lightly, and he noticed with surprise as her expression turned sad. “I am. ‘Cause, I told people not to let their past scar them… but… heh,” she waved a hand up and down, indicating towards herself. “I have my past all over my body.”

Hadn’t she been in the army? “The battle scars you mean, Bugaboo? But aren’t they like, good? Something to be proud of?”

Marinette laughed, but it was humorless. “The ones on the back? They’re decorations, yeah. But the ones here… and here….” Her voice trailed off as she pointed at her neck and her forearms. “Oh, and here too,” she muttered softly before pushing aside the collar of her shirt a little, and with his enhanced night vision, Adrien could see the red, jagged line that ran across her collarbone, disappearing under the fabric. It wouldn’t take a genius to decipher that the scar ran till the part where her heart lay.

He looked up at her in surprise, and she gave him a sad smile. “No need to get your LED yellow, kitty. I did warn you when we first met, didn’t I?”

_ “This pretty face is much more scarred than you are aware of, you metal scrap of a partner.” _

“I…” Adrien didn’t know what to say. What was one supposed to say in situations like these? Plus, when Marinette got sober, would she like it that he knew this deep secret of hers? Or would it once again threaten to hamper the delicate relationship they shared?

“Why?” The question finally managed to escape him.

Marinette looked ahead, shaking her head lightly. “It’s… I dunno. Won’t say it’s a part of being human ‘cause…” she looked up at him, her glossy eyes shining with unshed tears. “You’re more human than me, Adrien.”

He was at a loss of words, again. But he didn’t need to say anything, for Marinette once again started speaking. “I guess you could say that it’s me being weak. I mean, I show the world that I’m strong, but… I guess my coping mechanisms with grief really need an ‘upgrade’ as you bots would say.” She laughed mirthlessly, air quoting the words.

“No.” 

Marinette looked up at him, her brows furrowed. “No whut?”

“You’re not weak, Mari. In fact, you’re the strongest person I know.”

Her cheeks tinged pink, and she looked away, smiling a bit. But her voice didn’t indicate her happiness. “You may say whatchu want, Adrien, but I’m weak. The scars are proof for that.”

“I disagree.” He pulled her towards himself, cupping her cheek lightly to brush the stray tear that had escaped her eye. “The scars are old, they aren’t new. You might’ve got them in a surge of grief, but the lack of fresh ones says that you are willing to fight, Marinette. You are willing to survive.”

She scoffed at his reply, pulling away as she thrust her hands in her pockets, putting a distance between them. For a moment, he felt like he had been a bit too much. But when she turned her head lightly to look at him from over her shoulder, he could see the hurt flashing on her face.

“Willin’ to survive? Yeah. Bothering to suck some air? Yep. But that’s not what I wanna do, Adrien.”

She turned to face him, and the expression of raw hurt, raw agony on her face made him want to hug her so tightly that her shattered world would fix itself back together. “I don’t want to survive. I want to live, Adrien. I want to  _ live _ . And… I can’t. I just can’t.”

She hugged herself tight, shaking her head and turning her back to him. With her lowered voice, it seemed as if she was talking more to herself rather than speaking to him. “It’s hard to live with the past ghosting on your shoulders, and the blood on your hands. It’s damn hard to.”

He could get the literal meaning behind her statement, especially with his past. But was that supposed to be some kind of a cryptic code, or did Marinette really mean her statement literally? Had she too, just like him, once been meant to…

Not possible. Soldiers killed to protect their country. They didn’t kill innocent people who wanted to bring a change in the world.

Clouds thundered above them, and they both looked up. It was about to rain soon.

“Nature wants to cry with me? How interesting.”

“Hey, listen.” 

Marinette half-turned to him, her arms still crossed over her chest and expression still furrowed. Adrien realised he had to tread this territory slowly and carefully.

“I know what it’s like, to have the past haunt you. I mean, we all have our share of skeletons in the closet, don’t we?” He gave her a half-shrug, and relief flooded him at the sight of her tensed posture slightly relaxing.

“What do you mean? You too?” Marinette asked, her voice holding a tone of suspicion. Perhaps she had stumbled back to a few moments of soberness in her tipsy state.

“Maybe…” he half-shrugged, a tentative smile playing on his lips. “But that is not the point. What I mean is that with losses and heartbreaks, life doesn’t always give us what we hope for. But life in itself is a gift.”

She didn’t speak, her silence an indication for him to continue.

“I know I am quoting lines, but I really do believe in this philosophy — life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, but it’s about dancing in the rain, M’Lady.”

He took a step towards her, and another. She didn’t move, just turned to him fully as she kept looking at him, her slightly dazed over gaze filled with wonder.

“I never said that moving on is gonna be easy; it is going to be a hell of a bumpy ride, with potholes and thorny paths. I’m myself new at this whole bonding-over-hurt thing. But, as long as you and I are together in this, braving what life throws our way, I am willing to face it all.”

As the first drops of rain hit their heads, Adrien opened the umbrella and offered it to Marinette, placing it over her head.

“What do you say, M’Lady? Would you allow me to help you on this journey? To catch you there whenever you stumble? To be the Chat Noir to your Ladybug?”

Marinette looked up at him, her wide-blown bluebell gaze flickering between his face and his extended hand, her lips parted in a small ‘O’. Slowly, tentatively, she inched her hand towards his, her fingers curling and uncurling in response to the internal debate within her heart. For the umbrella wasn’t merely a means to avoid her from getting drenched. It was the final olive branch extended between them. It was a symbol of something deeper, something that promised and formed the basis of a true friendship and an unbreakable partnership.

Adrien felt his thirium pump stutter and skip a beat as the tentative touch of soft fingers ghosted over his synth skin, before she took the offered umbrella. As the rain fell harder and water seeped down his hair and over his eyes, drenching his clothes, Adrien couldn’t help the grin that formed on his face, thanks to the giddy feeling in his system.

He could finally call Marinette his friend. And that feeling was just… indescribable.

Marinette blinked at him owlishly, as if she was still making sense of the situation. And then all of a sudden, the umbrella snapped close on her.

He was shocked at first, but then, laughter bubbled in his chest. At last, Adrien found himself laughing hard at his partner’s expense, even though he knew he shouldn’t. 

Another set of giggles soon joined him, and Adrien looked up from his bent over position to find Marinette peeking out of the umbrella, giggling along. She disentangled herself from the umbrella and shifted a bit, before looking up at him.

“I thought cats hate water.”

He chuckled, before moving under the umbrella and holding it for them. Marinette stumbled a bit, causing Adrien to lurch forward and hold her by the waist. She immediately leaned into his embrace.

“I wouldn’t want you to get soaked, M’lady.”

“Don’t worry. As long as it is you and me against the world, I won’t mind dancing in the rain at all, Mon Chaton.”

* * *

It was 3 A.M. when the door to the Miller residence opened.

A tall figure walked inside, a bundle tucked in his arms. He walked over to the living room, before placing the bundle gently on the couch.

The blanket unfurled slightly, and Manon turned a bit in her sleep, mumbling unintelligible stuff.

Laughing under his breath, Jacob brushed her hair away from her face. He had always liked kids — their innocence was a fresh breath of relief in this cruel, suffocating world — and now that he had the chance to be the guardian of one, he was going to fulfill his responsibilities perfectly.

Gently tucking the kid securely, Jacob moved over to the mantle. He picked up the photograph and the half-written letter, before placing them back and sighing. He needed to have a clear mind before continuing the letter.

Moving back to his room, Jacob gathered a set of clean clothes before heading over to the bathroom. With Rose having given Manon an anaesthetic to let the child rest, the man decided to make use of the time to freshen himself up.

The water was refreshingly warm, and Jacob sighed, feeling all the stress and tension in his muscles leave him. He let himself loose in the water, relaxing from his sitting position into a nearly laying one, closing his eyes and floating in bliss as the water washed his worries away…

A slight rattling of windows caused him to be on alert. Straightening up, he wondered what the source of the noise had been. Had Manon woken up? But the anaesthetic was strong enough to have Manon asleep for at least six hours, or so Rose had said. Then was it still possible for the child to be awake this soon?

Quickly getting out of the bathtub, he wrapped a towel around himself intending to check on the source of the noise. Apparently, he didn’t need to go too far.

“Searching for someone, Mr. Miller?”

That voice… that voice was eerily familiar. As if it belonged to the recent past. Where had he heard that sugar coated voice before?

“I hope you didn’t forget me, Mr. Miller. We met just a day or two ago!”

The woman finally appeared by the door. 

Elvira Brooks.

Except she didn’t look like Elvira Brooks now.

Not with her flowing black-brown hair with red tips and her now homochromatic eyes. And though her face was covered by a bandana, he could totally imagine the smirk that played at her lips.

“What do you want?” Jacob demanded, his eyes darting around as he searched for a way to escape. However, she had effectively blocked his way. He just had to find some way to stall her. “Bigger question: how the fuck did you get into my house?”

The woman threw her head back and laughed, but it wasn’t like the shy laugh he had heard from her two days ago. It was bone-chilling, sinister, downright evil. 

Her expression didn’t sit right with Jacob, for his senses screamed danger.

“Nice question, though I guess that is going to remain a secret. No spoilers, right?” She said in a happy tone, before winking at him.

Flight-or-fight instincts kicking in, Jacob quickly turned around. He made a mad dash towards the bathtub and yanked at the curtains on the window. They fell, and Jacob gripped the rod, putting it between himself and the woman in self-defense.

“Stay away from me, I said  **STAY AWAY!** ”

He swung the rod at her, but she was quick. Brooks dodged the attack and her expression turned dark, an evil look gleaming in her eye. “As much as I would love to stay and chat with you, sir, I am sadly on a time crunch here.”

Chat with him? What the hell was she actually trying to sa—

Jacob felt something pierce him in the gut, before the air got knocked out of his lungs as a sharp pain flared through his body. A change in momentum caused him to stumble back into the bathtub with a splash. With eyes wide open in horror, he looked as the once bubbly bath slowly turned into a fiery bloodbath.

“Woah, human blood sure is different from the android’s one, isn’t it?” Brooks — had she ever really been Elvira Brooks to begin with? — said in a tranced voice, head cocked to a side, gaze fixated on the reddening water. A gun loosely dangled from her left hand.

There was a very low chance of him escaping alive from this situation. How funny life really was. He had been planning on finding a long lost friend, and fate just had to go out of its way to prevent him from doing so. The only good that lay in it was that soon, he would be able to meet another long lost friend.

But even if he couldn’t fight physically, Jacob was going to make sure to put his best in helping the police get this criminal behind the bars. Summoning his rapidly draining strength, he threw the rod at her in a final attempt to save himself. It hit her left hand which held the gun, causing it to clatter to the ground and for Elvira to let out a curse.

Having bought himself some time, Jacob slowly, painfully, reached a hand over the wound, wincing at the sharp pain that erupted in his body as his fingers lightly grazed over the wound. Using his bloodied thumb, he ran a bloody streak from his chin down to his chest, before stopping his hand there, the thumb jabbing at his chest with fingers splayed out.

“Woah, marking yourself in your own blood? Interesting. You have been one curious victim, Jacob Miller, and also a tough one. But I regret that I have to say that this game has to come to an end. Wish I could tell you to say goodbye to your family, but sadly, you live alone. Also, the rod trick didn’t do you any good.”

Flipping the gun into her right hand, the mystery woman aimed at his head. This was the point of no return, there was nothing he could do.

Dizziness surrounded him as he bled, and somehow, the knowledge of imminent death placed him at a strange peace rather than giving him an urge to protect himself. Elvira thought he lived alone. She didn’t know of Manon’s existence. The child was safe…

He saw his life flash before his eyes — blue bangs framing a mysterious smile, hugs with the whiff of chocolate and pastries, glowing amber eyes hiding behind dyed purple locks…

A click of the trigger, the smell of a gunshot, a searing pain… and then black filled his vision.

Forever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blooper (this happened when I was totally pissed with quarantine and writer's block):
>
>> Flight-or-fight instincts kicking in, Jacob quickly turned around. He made a mad dash towards the bathtub and yanked at the curtains on the window. They fell, and Jacob gripped the rod, putting it between himself and the woman in self-defense.
>> 
>> “No touching, social distancing!" 


	10. The House In Brooklyn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The decent house with its red sloping roofs would have been anyone’s dream place to live in. It once had been the same for Marinette, too. Now, however, she felt like the house was looming over her, the shadows cast by it instilling a deep fear in her spine.
> 
> With her pounding head and the bottomless pit in her stomach, she just hoped she had enough strength and professionalism in herself to get through this investigation unscathed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warnings:** Panic Attacks 
> 
> Mini, is this the week to post the chapter? yes, it is.  
> Mini, wasn't the chapter be supposed to be out on this weekend? yes, it was.  
> Mini, isn't today a Tuesday? yes, it is.
> 
> Then why are you posting?
> 
> College. _cries in a corner_

Marinette enjoyed the feeling of floating in a dark abyss, unaware and uncaring of what was happening around her. No one was going to trouble her here, and she was thankful for the lack of intrusion.

After what had seemed like eons, her surroundings started getting illuminated a little, and the soft glow of light that surrounded her was temptingly comforting.

Blearily, she opened her eyes, just a little, just a peek. And then and there she knew that it was the greatest mistake she had committed in her entire life. For a stray, seemingly merciful ray of sunshine had managed to sneak its way in, and then had mercilessly sizzled her brain.

If she had earlier welcomed the soft blanket of obliviousness that alcohol brought with itself, she certainly wanted to chase away the painful pounding in her head that brought her to reality. If she had earlier appreciated the zingy feeling of alcohol on her tongue, she now detested the foul feel that had made itself at home in her mouth.

Groaning in frustration, Marinette snuggled deeper into her sheets, hoping to block out the light and the cheeriness and lock herself back into the deep abyss of sleep and unconsciousness.

But of course that pleasure wasn’t written in her fate, for the very next moment, someone snatched the sheets away from her, her world once again turning from a comforting black to a jarring white.

“What the act-”

Searing green eyes hidden behind a curtain of too-bright blond hair looked at her, a confused frown etched on that picture-perfect face. If Marinette earlier believed for her brain to be barbecued, she was dead sure that it had been charred to ashes just now.

The incarnation of the sun opened his mouth, and Marinette was certain Satan had decided to do a tap dance on her head.

“Detective, it’s past noon, so I thought-”

Marinette snatched the sheets back from him and cuddled herself again, sighing into the envelope of darkness. “You and your tin brain, both can get the fuck outta here.”

The sheets were snatched back again, and that was the moment of enlightenment for Marinette. Her roommate wasn’t a ball of sunshine; rather, he was one of Satan’s minions, pure evilness masked behind fake innocence.

“You need to get your lazy ass up and go get freshened up. Now!”

She turned to stare at him, eyes squinted, jaw practically hanging open. The stupid android had the audacity to smirk at her.

“Sorry for being rude, but I just spoke in your language, Detective.”

Marinette was sure she looked comically stupid with her jaw unhinged, but then finally giving in, she got up. Her body  _ screamed _ at the torture, and the ashes she had for brains urged her to get back into bed, but she simply ignored everything and trudged on and on, until her hand hit the cool bathroom handle. 

Oh, what she would not give to just collapse here and keep sleeping.

But she trudged on, courageously, like the soldier that she was. With great effort and bravery, she brushed and scrubbed the foul smell of alcohol out of her mouth. With unspoken chivalry and valiance, she stepped into the cold shower and braved the cold pellets that fell onto her, shedding her old, alcoholic skin, giving her a new birth, a new life.

And that’s when she realised she had forgotten her change of clothes outside. Oh well.

Wrapping the towel securely around her frame, Marinette stepped out of the shower, moving slowly and carefully so as to not slip on the wet tiles. The pounding in her head had reduced drastically, and she was extremely grateful for the sunshine that fell on her as she opened the door gent—

What the hell was that android still doing in her room?

Apparently he too had been thinking the same about her, for immediately his eyes bugged out as he turned blue. Muttering something incomprehensible, Adrien turned around and tried to walk out of the door.

Emphasis on tried.

He forgot he had closed the door when he had entered the room.

Quickly grabbing her change of clothes from the cupboard, Marinette dashed back into the bathroom and shut the door tightly. The pounding in her head had increased a bit again, but more profound was her frantic heartbeat. She slapped at her cheeks, urging the blood to flow back to her system. She wasn’t supposed to blush!

Hurriedly putting on her change of clothes, Marinette brushed her hair back into a tight bun before walking back into the room. Adrien was still there, but this time his back was turned to her. Marinette simply sighed.

“I am decent, Adrien. You can turn back now.”

He hesitated a bit, before turning around. His LED flickered from yellow to blue, and an easy smile stretched on his face. “How are you feeling, Marinette?”

Great that he didn’t breach on the previous incident. “I am… okay. Just feeling like a truck knocked the living daylights out of me.”

“Well, considering that you drunk tequila and Manhattan and Mojito and whiskey and wine and—”

“Jesus. Christ.” Horror filled her as she stared at her partner casually listing the drinks. “I really did drink all that shit?”

“Yep.”

“I...how did I survive?”

The android sniggered at her, and she knew that it wasn’t anything good. “Well, by calling me a cuddly bear, singing to a wall, yeeting a water bottle across the road, scampering down the road like a mouse, calling yourself a crying hippo and-”

“Stop. Right. There.” Marinette enunciated her words, her hands held up in front of her. Her drunk self really made a fool of herself. “Do I really want to know what happened when the hangover started to kick in?”

The look on Adrien’s face said everything. Marinette sighed. “Okay, got it, I don’t want to know.”

Suddenly a vague memory came to her mind, something about scars and dancing in the rain. It made her heart stutter to a near stop. “Wait... Adrien, did I--did I tell you something related to… my past?”

“Well…” Adrien rubbed at the nape of his neck, and Marinette realised that whatever she did was not good. “... you showed me a scar near your collarbone, but nothing more than that.”

She slapped a hand to her face, letting out a groan. So her drunk self had fucked up. Big time.

“Remind me never to get drunk ever again.”

“Trust me Detective, I myself would not let you.” If Adrien’s voice was anything to go by, he himself hadn’t had a fun time with Drunkinette. Nice. 

“Listen, I am sorry for whatever my stupid drunk self did. And… Thanks for helping me get home. And if I said something bad to you… I-I didn’t mean it.” She hung her head low, feeling totally embarrassed of herself.

“Hey, Marinette. Hey, listen.” He lifted her head slightly, and somehow the motion gave her a weird sense of déjà-vu. Had it happened the night before, too? The pounding in her brain didn’t help her remember. “I can understand your situation right now, but… To be honest, I really liked Drunkinette. You were really… cute and sweet when you acted like a child.”

Her eyes bugged out, and she nearly choked on nothing. Putting up a hand to halt Adrien before he could fret over her, she gave him a look of incredulity mixed with surprise. “Give a gal some warning before saying anything like that.”

“I, uhh, okay. By the way, breakfast awaits you at the table.”

Nice subject change. Marinette quickly walked out of the room and to the table. Inhaling the sweet aroma of the coffee that awaited her beside an apple pie; she felt as if she were back in heaven.

Adrien knew just how to make her day.

“You are an angel sent from heaven, you know that, right?”

“Thanks for the compliment, Detective,” Adrien chuckled, before his face darkened and LED cycled from a calm blue to a pulsing yellow. “Though, I got a call from the NYPD a few minutes ago. They want us to investigate a murder.”

Marinette sipped at her coffee, frowning. Another murder? Her head didn’t want her to tackle a case today. “Couldn’t we take a day off today?”

“No, Detective, we are the only free duo available for the day.”

“What if I tell them I nearly died yesterday? Maybe we will get off then.”

“That will question my credibility as your partner, so nope. Not happening.”

She groaned. “Oh goodness, this is so sad; Adrien, play Despacito.”

“Excuse me, Detective, but what?” The surprise that dripped from his voice was worth the joke.

“Nothin’, I was just kidding,” she waved him off, downing her coffee before cutting a slice from the apple pie. Munching on it, she asked with her mouth full. “Sho, w’ere do we ‘ave to go?”

“House number 15, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. That’s the address.”

House number 15 in Prospect Heights… there was something familiar about that address....

She munched on her breakfast thoughtfully, before gulping. “Did they tell who the deceased android was?” 

“Strangely, this seems like a fresh case, for I cannot place any connections with our previous one. The deceased wasn’t an android, but a human. Someone by the name of Jacob Mill- Marinette are you okay?!”

She hadn’t even realised that she had dropped her pie. 

House number 15 in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; the house that had earlier been her home, the one her fiancé had bought for her. And later, she had sold off to his honorary brother.

No wonder that address was familiar. It had been imprinted in her memory, as a place she had to avoid at any costs. And now…

She knew fate was cruel to her, but this? This was just a new level of sick.

Getting up abruptly, Marinette grabbed her car keys and walked towards the entrance.

“Marinette? Wha-where are you going?”

“To investigate the case.”

“But your breakfa-”

She turned around, her eyes blazing with anger and frustration.

“The breakfast can fucking wait. Let’s just go and get this over with…  _ please. _ ”

Adrien opened his mouth to say something, before closing it shut immediately and walking out of the house, his head hung low. On passing her, he gingerly swept his hand across her cheek, before shuffling away.

She hadn’t even realised the wetness that had been there.

Damned tears.

* * *

Adrien had offered to drive, and she had agreed. Her inner tornado of thoughts wouldn’t have allowed her to drive in the first place.

The car pulled into the area, jerking her out of her thoughts. The decent house with its red sloping roofs would have been anyone’s dream place to live in. It once had been the same for Marinette, too.

Now, however, she felt like the house was looming over her, the shadows cast by it instilling a deep fear in her spine.

She had veiled the ghosts of her past into oblivion, ignoring their constant presence in her life. But now that they had uncovered themselves after so many years, they seemed scarier and more threatening than before.

Putting her domino mask on, she quickly got out of the car, wanting to get the entire thing over with as fast as she could.

With her pounding head and the bottomless pit in her stomach, she just hoped she had enough strength and professionalism in herself to get through this investigation unscathed.

* * *

Adrien was… concerned. 

After easing Marinette’s concerns that her drunken self hadn’t caused too many disasters, he had been glad. But the moment he saw her face go ashen-white at the mention of Jacob Miller, he knew something was up.

He had noticed how uneasy the Detective had been the entire drive. And seeing her stare at the house as if it contained some ghosts of the past, Adrien’s suspicions about Jacob Miller being connected to Marinette’s past were deepening.

Putting on his black mask, he hurriedly got out of the car and jogged to catch up with Ladybug, who had already reached the entrance of the house.

Completing the necessary formalities of verifying their identity to the officer at the door, the duo entered the building. A junior officer greeted them a few steps beyond the entryway.

“The body’s in the bathroom, Detectives. It’s on the way to—”

“—it’s okay, we will manage. Thanks,” Ladybug said dismissively as she raised a palm to stop the man, then moved further inside. Chat followed her without a word, giving the mildly stunned officer a slight apologetic smile.

They walked down the hallway, and seeing one door slightly ajar with forensic briefcases around it, Chat stopped by it to check inside. 

“That’s the living room, the bathroom is beside the stairs.”

How the hell did Ladybug know where the bathroom was?

He still peeked inside to find two officers and two civilians hovering over a small bundle, cooing at it. Before his curiosity got the better of him, he shook his head and moved to follow his partner.

The way Ladybug was looking at the house, touching every wall as her eyes flitted in every direction, it seemed like she had memories attached to the place. She was stumbling a bit, and Chat blamed it on the fact that she hadn’t eaten anything substantial for over 18 hours. And he couldn’t decipher the expression on her face — it seemed to be a conflicting mixture of both nostalgia and terror.

He stayed behind her, observing her every move. She walked slowly and finally reached the dimly lit room beside the stairs.

He watched her hesitate to open the bathroom door. He watched her push the door open with trembling hands and then walk inside. He watched her stumble out of the bathroom the next moment, her hands clasped on her mouth in shock.

And then he watched her fall.

“LADYBUG!” Chat shouted as he rushed to her aid, catching her before she could hit the ground. 

Her eyes were wide open in terror, her mouth slightly parted open. He immediately scanned her, finding her blood pressure disastrously low.

“Detective? Ladybug? Can you hear me? CAN YOU?” He shook her wildly, panic gripping him.

She garbled out something incomprehensible, her body slightly trembling.

This was not good. This was so not good. Without a second thought, he scooped her up in his arms and rushed towards the stairs that led to the floor above. His system was constantly flashing commands to revive Ladybug, but he ignored them. Of course he fucking knew his job!

Climbing the first few steps, he gently put her down on the stairs. But as he tried to move away to give her some space to breathe, he found he was stuck.

For Ladybug had fisted his shirt tight in her hands and was sobbing.

Why... why was she crying?

“Bug? Bugaboo? You okay?”

She didn’t respond. Leaning back a little, Chat hollered down the hallway, “Someone get a glass of water.”

A purple-haired woman shot out of the living room towards what he assumed was the kitchen.

“Bugaboo? Hey, don’t cry, shush. I am here, your kitty’s not going anywhere.” 

He pulled her into his chest, patting her back soothingly and holding her tight. She clutched at the fabric of his uniform, silent sobs wracking her body. His heart may have been artificial, but at that moment, he realised what ‘heartwrenching’ truly meant.

Chat looked at the open bathroom. What was there inside that had triggered her to such an extent?

He heard footsteps rushing forward, and turned around to see the woman from earlier approaching him with a tray. On the tray was a glass of water and a glass of orange juice along with a note.

Chat picked the note up. “I figured she might need some refreshment given her state.”

He looked up at her in gratitude, taking the tray from her and placing it on the steps. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

He turned back to the lady, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“If you don’t mind, I need to take her mask off. And since the identities are meant to be a secret…”

Nodding her head in acknowledgment with a small smile on her face, the lady walked away.

Turning back to his partner, Chat gingerly reached forward and peeled off her mask. He could see the tear trails that ran down her cheeks, and immediately rubbed them away.

Her face scrunched up a bit, her confused bluebells flickered around wildly, blinking and trying to make sense of her surroundings. And then all of a sudden, Marinette shot up, her head colliding with Chat’s chin. 

He nearly lost his balance before straightening himself up, hissing at the sudden hit. However, all sense of pain was lost on him on seeing the woman let out a groan as she clutched at her hair.

“My head... it’s exploding.”

He gently held her by the waist and laid her down on the stairs, her grip causing him to go down with her.

“Must be the remaining effects of the hangover.”

“Ugh, fucking hangover,” she groaned again, before squinting at him. 

“What are you doing on top of me, Chat?”

“Um, you are holding my shirt too tightly, Marinette,” he whispered in reply.

The woman immediately let his shirt go, pushing him off herself lightly as she crossed her arms on her chest with a huff.

Chuckling lightly, Chat offered her the mask and the juice. She put the mask on her face and then eyed the glass, confusion etched on her face.

“Your blood pressure was drastically low, Detective. You need to get something in your system.”

“Chat,” the woman sighed, kneading her brows wearily. “I told you I am fi—”

“We are not leaving this place until you finish the juice.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but then shut it, harrumphing instead. She looked at the glass once more, and then downed the entire drink in one go.

“So, Ladybug,” Chat looked at her warily. “Why were you crying?”

“I wasn’t crying,” came the immediate reply.

He simply showed her his hand, which was still damp from wiping her tears off.

She huffed but didn’t say anything. Chat simply gave her a small smile. “It’s okay, I won’t force you to tell.”

Getting up, Chat walked towards the bathroom. “I am going to investigate. Don’t force yourself to, though.”

He stepped into the dimly lit room and was taken aback by what lay in front of him. The deceased was in the bathtub, towel nearly loose around his torso, head tilted up towards the ceiling. One of the hands was on his chest, with all five fingers splayed out. The other lay stretched by his side, as if he had been struggling to find something to hold to in the last moments of his life. The smell was nauseating, the water was fiery red, and blood was splattered on the walls behind him. The room had clear signs of struggle — the curtain rod lying on the other end of the room, the curtains that lay on the ground, the turned over toiletries.

The slight jiggling of the door caught Chat’s attention, and he turned around to find Ladybug leaning by the door, her face pale and posture slouched. She was looking at the corpse, an incomprehensible expression on her face.

“Ladybug, you should be resting!”

“I am on a darned job here, Chat,” she replied back, her voice holding a little edge to it. 

“But, you don’t have to do this if you’re not comfo-”

“It’s okay, Chaton. Dead bodies aren’t something I haven’t dealt with earlier, they don’t affect me,” she murmured, putting on her latex gloves. The shaking of her hands indicated something else, but Chat didn’t comment. Putting on his own gloves, he turned back to his partner, who now had a determined gaze in her eyes.

“Y’know what, let’s get this over with, partner.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A totally random note of thanks for all those who have been in this journey for so long. It means a tonne to me <3 _I'm too much emotional today, haha!_


	11. Unravelling Clues (And Secrets)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kitty, I feel like we just got a clue taking us one step towards the murderer. Let’s go check it out!”
> 
> “I might have found something too, M’Lady. Something that seems to be the missing piece of the puzzle you actually _are_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warnings:** Blood, Murder Scene description
> 
> (if there is anything else, please put it in the comments below 'cuz I'm running on 5 hours of restless sleep and 4 cups of coffee right now :'D exam week sucks)

“So you want me to stand here and merely watch you, right?”

“Right.”

“What a nice way to go along with my job,” Ladybug grumbled as she leaned by the door and crossed her arm. She was grumpy at being rendered nearly useless. 

“I am sharing your workload, thank me later, Bug!” Chat answered cheerfully before turning back to the crime scene. 

She looked as he crouched on the tiles beside a splatter of blood on the floor. He gingerly swiped his finger over the blood and brought it up to his eyes. Ladybug stared as he looked at his finger curiously for a moment before popping the finger in his mouth.

Wait, _what?_

“The fuck, Noir?” Ladybug gasped out, catching his attention and causing him to turn to face her, eyes wide, LED blinking yellow and finger still in mouth.

She fervently shushed down the voice in her brain that claimed her partner to look cute with a bloody finger in his mouth.

Chat popped his finger out, his green orbs blinking innocently behind the black mask. “Forgive me, Detective, I should have warned you. I am actually analysing the blood sample.”

Ladybug gulped out loud. “Analysing the blood sample?” At Chat’s simple nod, she shook her head. “I-uh, okay, do your thing.”

“Sorry, Bug, I should have warned you earlier,” Chat apologised, and then his eyes widened as his LED turned blue. “So, the deceased’s name is Jacob Miller, age 30, blood type A+, no drugs or medical conditions. And scanning his body, I would deduce his death time to be around 3.30 A.M.”

“Hmm, I see,” Ladybug walked towards the corpse, careful about the blood that was splattered around. The head was turned to the ceiling with the mouth open slightly in horror. Ignoring the chilling shiver that went down her spine, she gently placed her hands on the dead man’s eyes and closed them. Her eyes then travelled down to the mark drawn with blood, the streak from his chin to his chest.

It seemed eerily familiar, like something she was supposed to know but didn’t. She racked her brain, but nothing came up. Sighing, she finally turned to her partner, who seemed to be in the midst of another processing, if the pulsing yellow LED was any indication.

As his LED turned back to blue moments later, he looked at her, his eyes raised in question.

“That mark is strange,” she simply commented.

“I agree with you, Bug. I couldn’t come up with any viable reason for that on scene reconstruction.”

“What did you see?” Maybe his input would help them catch some details they might have missed.

“Apparently the killer ambushed him. He dislodged the curtains in an attempt to fight back, but the killer got their way. One shot to the gut, another to the head. It was the headshot that took his life.”

“I see,” Ladybug held her chin thoughtfully, urging down the bile that rose to her throat at listening to the recount of exactly how one of her best friends had been killed. She urged herself to get her head back in the case. “So, if he managed to get a shot at the killer, they must be bruised.”

“Or dented, if they were an android,” Chat added.

“Got it. So now we have a dented killer at loose. How interesting.” Ladybug pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Still doesn’t explain why he has that mark on. Was it his doing or the killer’s?”

“I dunno, Bug,” Chat shrugged, face turned into a frown. “Think we should interrogate the relatives?”

She turned to the door, walking out of the scene. “They aren’t exactly relatives, but yeah, I suppose so.”

“Wait a minute, Bug,” Chat’s question caused her to halt. “How do you know they are not his relatives?”

“Just a hunch,” she casually shrugged and shuffled out of the room, mentally cursing her small slip-up along the way.

* * *

“So you have no idea nor suspicion about who might have done this?” Chat Noir enquired Rose, noting down everything in his CPU that the blonde told him.

“No, Detective. Jacob was a very friendly man, making friends wherever he went,” Rose dabbed at her eyes, sniffling a little. The dark-haired woman from earlier — her name was Juleka from what his scan told him — placed her arms around her shoulders in a side-hug, and Rose leaned into her.

“He went out of his way to help people, as much as he could. I mean, only yesterday late night he showed up at our doorstep with a grievously injured Manon in his arms, asking us to help patch her up.”

“Manon?”

“That little bundle over there.”

Chat looked in the direction Rose had pointed to find Ladybug hovering over something on the sofa. Moving towards her, he saw the sleeping form of a small child wrapped up in a blanket and bandages, and he felt emotions overcome him. He turned his attention to his partner, who had a conflicted look on her face. As if she was sympathetic to the child and at the same time was trying to maintain the air of professionalism around herself.

A hand on his shoulder caused him to turn to Juleka, who then proceeded to move her hands around rapidly. For a moment, Chat was caught off-guard. Why was the woman flailing her arms around?

But that’s when he remembered the handwritten note she had brought him earlier, helping him to connect the dots. She hadn’t exactly talked to him, but had responded to his gratitude earlier. Clearly, the woman was mute.

Once she had apparently finished, Chat raised his hands in a placating motion, an apologetic smile on his face. “I am sorry to be ignorant, but did you just use ASL?”

Juleka nodded in reply, a confused frown on her face.

“I am unaware of the language, though please give me a moment. I will download the necessary stuff and maybe we can try again?”

“That sounds wonderful, Chat. You should learn that language.”

The android turned to his partner who had walked up to his side, giving him a soft smile. “ASL is a beautiful and fascinating language in itself. And about what Juleka said earlier, Jacob found Manon in an accident that killed her mother, right?”

The woman nodded before signing her words again. Ladybug fully focused on following her. Seeing he wasn’t needed anymore, Chat left the two ladies to their devices, moving over to the child that lay on the couch. She was a tiny kid, a quick scan confirming her to be no more than five. He wondered what she would look like when awake. Did human kids really have those big, innocent eyes that the pictures on the web showed?

“First time with a child?”

Nearly letting out a squawk, Adrien jumped a bit to find Rose looking at him with a soft expression. “I assumed from your pulsing yellow LED, and your face was clearly holding the wonder one would feel looking at a kid up close for the first time.”

“I--yeah. I have never been around kids before, and honestly, I am curious as well as scared,” he admitted, ducking his head a bit in embarrassment. “What if I touch her and she wakes up crying? I don’t want to make anyone cry.”

“It’s perfectly fine to be nervous. Here, give me your hand.”

He looked at her dubiously, but she merely smiled and held her hand out. Cautiously, Chat reached out for her, and she lightly gripped his wrist. Rose then slowly led his hand to hover over the kid, before releasing her grip.

He looked at her questioningly, and she merely nodded her head in encouragement. Tentatively, Chat reached out and softly ran his hand over the kid’s cheek. The girl sighed, before letting out a soft hum as she snuggled into her blanket, giving Chat a small glimpse of her pearly whites.

The girl had smiled at his touch.

“Sh-she… she smiled.”

“See, it’s that easy!” Rose let out a small squeal, patting his back. “I know you could do it!”

“I--thank you.” 

Straightening up, Chat looked around the room, finding Ladybug still engaged in a conversation with Juleka. Though he couldn’t understand anything for they both were rapidly signing stuff to each other, and he still needed to download the ASL data in his system. He moved his gaze round the room, scanning it in search of any evidence or clue. That was when the paper fluttering on the mantle caught his attention.

He quickly walked the length of the room, removing the photograph that acted as the paperweight and picking up the paper. It was a handwritten note, or better phrased, a letter. But what caught his attention was the name on the top of the letter.

_Dearest Marinette_

Chat knew there were multitudes of women with the first name Marinette, and that it specifically didn’t mean the Marinette he knew. But given her odd behavior from earlier — from the familiarity with the house to the panic attack she had had on seeing the body — and adding it to this recent discovery, he knew it just couldn’t be a play of mere coincidence. 

He picked up the photo frame, only for his suspicions to be fully confirmed.

For the girl laughing in the background was definitely the Marinette he knew.

Hearing footsteps approaching him, Chat quickly schooled his features to an impassive expression before turning around. Rose stopped in her tracks, looking at him curiously.

“Miss Lavillant, did Jacob have any family?”

The blonde shook her head. “No, Detective, in case by family you only mean those related by blood. If you talk of honorary relationships though, then yes, Jacob did have a family. It was _us_.”

“You mean you and Juleka?”

“Yes, Detective.” The woman had a forlorn smile twisting on her lips, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “I was more like his sister-in-law though. It was Juleka with whom he had a closer connection with. After all, she was his honorary sister.”

“I see.” Chat turned his attention back to the photograph before showing it to Rose and pointing at the blue-haired man who held Jacob in a friendly headlock. “This person out here… do you guys know him? Can he be involved in the case in any way?”

Rose smiled ruefully. “That’s Luka Couffaine, Jul’s real brother and Jacob’s best friend. He was in the army and had to stay away from the family for long times. That’s why he asked Jacob to take care of Juleka and their mom, Anarka, in the first place. He loved Jacob more than a friend, like a brother, Detective. There’s no way Luka would have ever been involved in this case… if he had been alive in the first place.”

“Y-you mean to say…”

“Luka is not in this world, Detective. He died serving in the army, three years ago.”

“I-I am sorry, Miss Lavillant.”

A moment of silence stretched between the two, before Chat cleared his throat and pointed at the woman in the photograph, the woman he knew but didn’t know at the same time. “What about this girl? What was her relation with Jacob? And c-could she be involved somehow?”

Rose looked at the picture and a fond smile stretched on her face. “Ah! That’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Luka’s first and only love. A sweet and compassionate girl, and the love she and Luka shared was just… another level. So deep that she followed in his footsteps and got enrolled in the army just because she didn’t want to be away from him!”

“I see. That’s… interesting. What happened then? Was Jacob not supportive of their relationship?”

“Believe me when I say it Detective, Jacob wanted to straight away marry the two of them right on the day they confessed to each other. He was extremely supportive of their relationship, and Marinette loved him just as much. In fact, he was Marinette’s closest confidant after Luka.”

Rose paused in her speech, wiping the tears that had run down her cheeks. “Luka’s death hit all of us hard. Juleka went into a mild depression, and Jacob was just shook. But Marinette? Marinette was hit the hardest, Detective. She wouldn’t tell anyone, but given her state, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone told me that she saw Luka die. She left the army a year after his demise and just disappeared, leaving this house to Jacob.”

Chat could feel his LED spin yellow at the information. “Wait, you mean to say this house doesn’t belong to Jacob Miller?”

“It does! But before that it was the Couffaine Residence. Luka bought it for Marinette as a surprise for the day he proposed to her.”

“I… see, that’s interesting, very interesting.” Chat looked back at Rose, once again raising the important question. “So, you feel like Marinette could be involved in this murder?”

“As if!” Rose gasped, horror on her face. “Marinette might have been in the army, but she would never raise a gun on an innocent soul. Plus, she never showed up in these two years, why would she be back? And only to kill someone who was one of the last links that Luka and she shared?”

Chat shrugged, not letting his fondness for Marinette show on his face at Rose’s reply. “You never know.”

He knew there wasn’t any way Marinette could be involved, but well, he couldn’t let anyone question exactly why he thought so. 

“Well in that case, Detective, I don’t suspect Marinette is related to the case in any way. That’s all,” Rose replied, crossing her arms and huffing.

“Okay, Ms. Lavillant. Thanks for your time, we will contact you in case we find anything new.”

Saying so, Chat shuffled away from the mantle, tucking the photograph and the letter in his jacket. For some reason, he really wasn’t in a mood to deal with an irritated Rose Lavillant.

Apparently Ladybug had completed her share of the interrogation too and had found something noteworthy, for she turned to him immediately, her eyes sparkling. Quickly putting on her gloves, she walked out of the room, speaking to him over her shoulder.

“Kitty, I feel like we just got a clue taking us one step towards the murderer. Let’s go check it out!”

“I might have found something too, M’Lady,” Chat muttered to himself. He followed her, eyeing her retreating form and patting his jacket just to ensure the evidence was safe.

“Something that seems to be the missing piece of the puzzle you actually are.”

* * *

Ladybug walked into the bathroom once more, this time determination coursing through her. 

Talking with Juleka had rung some old bells, and now Ladybug was sure that the earlier strange mark in blood she had seen etched onto Jacob’s chest was something of the deceased’s doing. Like a hint that would shed some light on the killer’s identity.

And she was going to pounce on this opportunity. She was not going to let her best friend’s killer slip out of her grasp.

Walking over to where the corpse lay, Ladybug felt her resolve stutter. Two years back, she had left the house to Jacob, claiming she would never come back and practically begging him not to try to find her. He had agreed to her wishes, all the while firmly believing that one day, she herself would come back in search of the closure she needed.

She had come back, but not in the way either of them had expected.

“Ladybug?”

Her partner’s voice from the doorway brought her out of her musings, and taking in a stuttering breath, the Detective bent down to examine the strange blood mark. It started at the chin, went down the neck and stopped over his chest, with his fingers splayed out in a five. Why did that sign seem familiar?

Subconsciously, Ladybug brought her own hand to her chin and imitated the sign that Jacob had made. As her hand came to stop over her chest, the word finally hit her.

_Woman._

“The killer is a woman,” she thought out loud.

“Huh? How do you know that, Bug?”

She beckoned Chat over and pointed at the mark on the chest. “This mark… this is the ASL symbol for a female! Jacob revealed the gender of the killer in the subtlest way possible! And this does make sense, cause Juleka is mute, so he apparently knew ASL and was hoping for his relatives to figure out the symbol when they found his body.”

“Well, that’s ingenious and smart. I’m sad he had such a fate.”

“You’re right.” Sighing, Ladybug looked around the bathroom. There was nothing noteworthy — toppled shampoo bottles, blood splatters, the metal rod that they were going to take to the forensics, a black chip thingy, signs of struggl—

_**A black chip thingy?** _

Walking over to the other end of the bathroom, the one near the window, Ladybug gingerly picked up the tiny piece of silicon. She was sure it looked like an Integrated Circuit, like a memory card a device could have.

Had the killer just dropped the biggest hint over here so carelessly?

“Chat!” She called her partner over and handed him the chip. “Can you scan this and see what it tells?”

The android took the chip in his hand and held it up in front of himself. Looking at it and turning it around, he stayed silent as his LED pulsated a bright yellow. All the while, Ladybug worried her lower lip between her teeth. What device did the chip belong to? Was it the killer’s? Would it actually lead them to their first success at getting justice finally served to an innocent person?

“Interesting,” Chat muttered in a low voice, catching her attention. 

“What happened? What did you find?”

“This is a memory card, Detective, the one used in androids. More specifically, a _WE900_ android. Apparently, its circuit is fried, thanks to damage from a _bullet_.”

WE900 android? Damaged by a bullet?

“Wait… you mean to say that…”

“Yep Detective. This is _our_ killer.”

Oh gosh.

It was _their_ killer. The one they had been searching for.

She immediately turned to walk out of the scene, her voice now gaining a terrifying edge to it. “C’mon, we need to interrogate the people some more.”

Ladybug earlier might have just wanted to serve justice, but now she was dying to strangle this mad female killer. The one who made the big mistake of attacking _her_ family.

* * *

“So you say Jacob was supportive of androids, right, Ms. Lavillant?” Ladybug enquired the woman, jotting down the key points in her notepad.

“Not exactly, Detective. It was more of a neutral feeling. Like, he believed that if the androids are living, just let them live ‘cause we don’t have any right to take away the lives they have gained.” 

She looked at Ladybug with a small smile on her face, her expression a bit apologetic and regretful. “It's like how most of us once felt toward saving animals... not extremely passionate about protecting them, and not exactly supportive of their killing either. Like, just sitting in our homes and commenting on the heartlessness of those who poached the poor things.”

“I see. So, did he have any acquaintances who like… _passionately_ hated androids?”

Rose shook her head in denial. “As far as I know of, no. He steered clear of such people.”

“Hmm…” Ladybug thought of any other relevant questions she could ask, but none came up. A part of her wanted to reach out to Rose and Juleka, to hug her sister-in-law tight and be with them in this hour of sadness, to apologise for leaving them three years back. But the insecure part of her won over, like it always had.

“I guess that’s all for now, R-Ms.Lavillant, though we will contact you as soon as we get any major update on the case. Once again, I’m truly sorry for your loss.”

Rose gave her a watery smile. “I will be okay, Detective. Though I don’t know about Juleka…”

The two women turned to find the dark-haired woman sitting on the couch, arms crossed in her lap as she stared at the fireplace. 

“It took her considerable time to get back to some semblance of normalcy after her brother Luka’s demise. And now with Jacob gone…” Rose paused for a moment as her voice cracked, before taking a deep breath in. “I really wish Marinette was here… Juleka could really use her support.”

Ladybug tried her best to suppress the agony she felt, to not let it show on her face. Trying to calm herself down and mask the quiver in her voice, she slowly spoke. “Whoever this... Marinette is… I believe that if she truly loves you all, she would be equally agonised at your loss Ms. Lavillant. And that she wants to reach out to you all, as soon as she can.”

Rose smiled. “I know, Detective. Marinette’s just like that. No wonder Luka fell for her the day he met her.”

Ladybug didn’t know what to say to that. Part of her wanted to scream _I’m right here._ Part of her wanted to hug Rose and Juleka tight and cry freely over the loss they had all faced, never letting them go. Part of her wanted to turn back time and mend her ways, beg anyone to give her a second chance at life.

But the biggest part of her was just frozen in place, Rose’s statement and particularly, _his_ name set up a loop in her mind.

_“No wonder Luka fell for her the day he met her.”_

Chat’s giggles broke her out of her trance. He was holding Manon in his arms, bouncing her up and down and making faces, causing the girl to laugh. The scene in front of her warmed her shrivelled heart a little.

“I-I guess that’s my cue. Excuse me, Ms. Lavillant.”

Walking over to her partner, Ladybug tried to get her thoughts under control. Now was not the time to let her past haunt her. Now was not the time to let her walls crumble and cry over a lost love. Now was not the time to realise that her heart had never healed from the wound that Luka’s untimely death had left behind.

She was strong, she was brave, she was Ladybug. She didn’t need to show emotions or cry.

Emotions were a past-Marinette thing, and damn her if anyone other than her pillow knew the real reason for her tears.

“Chat.” She called out to her partner, “we need to go back.”

The android looked a bit sad, but then put the kid down. He lightly booped the child’s nose playfully. “Okay little unicorn, it’s time this cat gotta scat! I will see you soon, hun.”

He got up and gave his partner a nod, an indication that they should get going. But they hadn’t even taken a step or two when Chat’s mild yelp caused her to turn back.

Manon was hugging Chat by the legs, holding on tight.

“Please don’t go, I want to be with you.”

Chat looked at her and then at Ladybug, his expression conflicted. Manon hugged him even tighter.

“Please take me with you. I’m scared, _Father_.”

As if a switch had literally been flipped in his mind, Char bent down to scoop the little kid up in his arms, bouncing her a little to adjust her in his grip. He smiled at her reassuringly.

“Don’t fret, little unicorn. I’m sure the nice lady here will allow you to stay with us! Won’t you, M’Lady?”

Ladybug was caught off-guard by his earnest expression and Manon’s baby doll eyes. She tried to deflect the topic.

“But technically she should go under fost--”

“I don’t want that for her, Bug. Plus, they are running an integrated check for her extended family. I confirmed with Max.”

The human detective looked between the child and her partner. What was she supposed to do? She really couldn’t allow a child to live with her in her home for many reasons, the primary one being her own personal issues--

From the corner of her eye, she caught Juleka waving at her. She turned to her slightly.

 _Jacob didn’t want Manon to go to foster care either_ , Juleka signed. 

Somehow, that knowledge helped Ladybug come to a decision. She had already made a mistake leaving her family behind, the least she could do was honor her late best friend’s (and honorary brother’s) last wish.

Massaging her brow as she sighed, Ladybug turned back to her partner. “Fine, she can come with us if she wants to.”

The android and the kid cheered in joy, causing her heart to melt a little. But she didn’t let it show on her face.

“And Manon? Don’t call me ‘Mother’, please. Just ‘Ladybug’ would be fine.”

“Okay, Just Ladybug!” Manon giggled, causing Chat to laugh.

Ladybug turned to the door, shaking her head lightly. “Gosh, like father, like daughter.”

She hoped she had managed to hide the small smile that had managed to creep up on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh... too many characters? Welp, this fic is getting out of hand and I like it~


	12. The Six Stupid Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “THAT’S ENOUGH!”
> 
> She had never meant those words. But now, there was no way she could take them back. She knew she had screwed up bad this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Warning:** Anger Issues(?)
> 
> I finally fit Aeon in! It's a small role, but hey, I'm happy with it <3
> 
> Also, sorry in advance ;p

Marinette unlocked the door to her apartment and stepped inside, Adrien following behind with the bundle in his arms. Manon had cuddled up to Adrien and fallen asleep on their way back home.

“Here, let me carry her,” Marinette offered, only for the android to shake his head as he held the little kid to his chest protectively.

“Thanks, but I am good, Marinette.”

The woman let out a sigh. “Fine, have it your way. But the kid’s sleeping in your bed, not mine.”

“Sounds good,” Adrien replied with a small shrug. He moved to his room and Marinette followed him, pausing at the doorway. She noted how he gently bounced Manon in his arms as he walked over to the bed. Adrien bent down to lay the child on the bed and Marinette couldn't help the small smile that crept on her face when Manon fisted his leather jacket tight, not allowing him to leave.

“Uh, Bug…” he looked at her, his expression that of bewilderment. “I-I guess I could use some help here.”

Walking over to him, she gently tried to ease the little girl’s grip on the jacket but it was in vain.

“Looks like you’re going to sleep today as well, Chaton,” she said with a smirk. However, it gave way to a small frown on seeing his conflicted expression. “Why, is something the matter, Adrien?”

“Umm, Marinette… it’s just that…” He reached to rub the back of his neck, his cheeks tinted slightly blue. “I don’t like going into the rest mode. Like humans, deviants can also get… y’know, nightmares… and…”

Marinette couldn’t help the concern that flowed out of her. “Oh, Kitty, c’mon, just lie down.”

Adrien complied, sitting down on the bed as Manon cuddled close to him. He shifted the pillows behind him a bit and rested his head on the headboard as he tried to make himself comfortable. He gave her a tense smile as a sign of everything being okay, but the LED on his temple rapidly cycled between blue and yellow, giving away his uneasiness.

Without a second thought, Marinette bent down to place a soft kiss on his forehead. She pulled away to find Adrien blushing a royal blue, causing her to giggle.

“Maman used to kiss me goodnight whenever I felt unsafe. She said it helped ward off the nightmares,” Marinette recounted in a wistful tone.

“I-I… thank you so much, M-Marinette. Really.”

“Sleep tight, Kitty.”

Saying so, she walked out of the room, but not before stopping in the doorway to sneak one last glance at her partner. Seeing him glowing all blue made her heart flip flop for reasons unknown. As Adrien protectively wrapped an arm around Manon, allowing the child to cuddle up with him, a warm feeling coursed through Marinette’s icy heart. With another small smile, Marinette walked towards her own bedroom.

Despite the tragedy she had witnessed in the last few hours, it was the first time in years she had fallen asleep that quick.

* * *

Marinette woke up to the delicious aroma of crêpes that wafted into the room, causing her stomach to rumble in response. She got up with a groan, realising that her body wasn’t quite happy with the fact that she hadn’t eaten anything substantial for more than 24 hours.

Dragging herself to the bathroom and freshening up, Marinette dressed quickly and walked out to the dining area. Laughter and giggles from the open kitchen attracted her attention.

Manon and Adrien were making crêpes. Mainly, it was Adrien flipping the crêpes and catching them like a pro, with Manon clapping beside him. One time the android flipped the crêpe so high, Marinette feared it would stick to the ceiling. But then he caught it in the pan and grinned at the kid, who giggled in glee.

Marinette whistled in appreciation, causing the duo to turn to her. With a grin, Manon reached over the counter and reached up to pick a plate. As Marinette seated herself on a barstool, Manon trotted over to her, placing her breakfast in front of her.

It was a beautiful crêpe with caramel, chocolate, hazelnuts and cinnamon sugar, and Marinette felt her stomach growl in hunger once again.

Turning to the mini chef who wore a pink apron, Marinette smiled at her, ruffling her hair. “Thank you, Little Chef!”

The girl giggled before Adrien came behind her, picking her up and placing her on a bar stool. He slid a plate of crêpes to her as he sat beside her.

Taking in a heavenly bite, Marinette sighed in delight. “You’re the best cook I’ve ever known, Chat.”

“Why thank you, M’Lady.”

“So... Manon, right?” Marinette turned to the kid, who nodded in reply. “Okay, Manon, I need to ask you some questions about some things that happened over the last few days, would you answer them for me?”

The girl looked a bit troubled as she chewed at her crêpe slowly, before gulping and nodding. Adrien probably noticed her uncertainty, for he immediately wrapped an arm around her, smiling at her gently. “It’s okay if you don’t want to answer any questions, Unicorn. We won’t force you.”

Marinette quickly took another bite of her crêpe before sliding her plate to the side and leaning a little forward. “Okay, darling, so how do you know Mr. Jacob? How did you end up at his house?”

“Mr. Jacob?” The girl echoed, her tone clearly showing her confusion.

“This person, my dear,” Adrien spoke up, raising his palm to showcase Jacob’s picture on it.

Manon’s eyes immediately lightened up. “Oh! You mean the good uncle?”

“Yes! Yes, the good uncle, darling,” Marinette nodded. “How do you know him?”

“I don’t know him really, it’s just that…” Manon’s gaze went downcast. “He was the one who picked me up when Maman threw me out of the car.”

“Your mom threw you out of the car?” Adrien asked in surprise. “But why?”

“I dunno, I was sleeping. I woke up to Maman’s screams of panic. And then she told me that she loved me and threw me out of the car before it crashed into a tree.”

The adults in the room gasped, but Manon didn’t pay them any mind. She stabbed at her crêpe before tearing a small piece and chewing it, her gaze fixed on the table. “The good uncle picked me up, and the next thing I know, I was in a strange room with two strange women. And then I met Chat.”

Adrien immediately hugged Manon, holding her tight to his chest. “Oh dear, I’m so sorry. Don’t worry, I’m here for you.”

Marinette took in a deep breath before moving on to the next question. “What about your dad, Manon? Where is he?”

The girl turned to look at her. “Maman said Daddy’s with the angels. That he loves me a lot too and is there to get me presents. And since Maman isn’t here... I guess she is with the angels too, right? Will I ever get to meet them again?”

Marinette looked up at Adrien, who had a worried frown on his face. How were they supposed to answer a question so innocent yet so jarring?

The woman smiled slightly before getting off her seat. She clasped the little girl’s small hands in her slightly bigger ones, kneeling in front of her and giving her a soft smile. “Yes, darling, your Maman is with the angels too. But they are always near you, you know.”

“Really? Where?” 

“They are always watching over us. Just look at the stars and you will always find them,” she slightly poked at Manon’s chest, the place where the kid’s heart would be. “In here.”

The girl looked at her with eyes full of wonder and curiosity. “But… how do you know that, Ladybug?”

Marinette smiled. “That is what my Maman told me too. And whenever I miss her and Papa, I just look at the stars and they are there with me. Along with… some other people I knew.”

“Oh! Do you think they would be having a tea party there right now?”

Marinette couldn’t help but laugh at that, ruffling Manon’s hair. “Maybe? I’m sure they would be telling each other tales of our childhood!”

“Oh?” Adrien finally joined in the conversation, and Marinette looked up to find him leaning on his arm, cheek in hand as he looked at her with a smile. “I would love to hear tales of a little Ladybug toddling around in her diapers.”

“Chat!”

* * *

“And give this to Detective Ladybug or Chat Noir when they arrive.”

“Sure will,” Aeon, the receptionist, took the file from the Forensics officer and placed it on the table, noting in her memory to get the file to its intended recipients.

Being a receptionist at the NYPD sure was… interesting. Aeon got to meet different types of people — ranging from jovial officers like Chat Noir to the standoffish ones like Ryuuko and Ladybug. And then there was the slightly haughty Chloé and the cool people from the Media department, Alya and Nino. And the different types of civilians that came into the station were… another level.

Though she had to agree that the partnership Ladybug and Chat Noir shared was unique in itself. Aeon had herself tried a few times to talk to the woman detective, only to be brushed away disdainfully. Apparently, that was her true nature. And with that, the way Chat Noir had managed to crack through Ladybug’s icy façade was just commendable.

Suddenly a slam interrupted her thoughts.

Jumping, she turned quickly to see Ladybug rubbing at her head with pain. Next to Ladybug, a child worriedly walked around Chat Noir, who had fallen to the ground. He was attempting to put his nose back into place.

Aeon immediately got to the entrance and put her palm on the automatic doors, willing them to open wide. The two detectives got up and walked inside, the child walking behind them. The female android caught Ladybug’s grumbles about stupid automatic doors as the latter walked towards her cabin.

“Hey there, Aeon, how’re you doing?” Chat brightly greeted her as she walked back to her place behind the front desk. She returned his smile before picking up the case file meant for the detectives.

“Great as usual. Though, I don’t think I can say the same for you, Detective. What got you so off your game today to run into an automatic door?”

The detective laughed as he scooped up the kid up in his arms, bouncing her a little. “Well, a certain Unicorn had my full attention this time. Meet Manon.” He turned to Manon, “Manon, this is my friend Aeon.”

“Hi,” the girl shyly waved at her before hiding her face in Chat’s neck.

“Aww, isn’t she adorable?” Aeon cooed, handing the file over to Chat. At his confused look, she smiled. “Came from the Forensics. The officer told me to give it to you.”

“Ah, I see. Thanks a lot, Aeon. Anything else?”

“Let me see,” the android went through her database before coming up with a task. “Ah! You’ve a young man named Lucas Horton waiting for you in the enquiry room. He says he might know something regarding the Jacob Miller case.”

“That’s awesome, thanks a lot, Aeon.” Saying so, Chat nodded to her politely before readjusting his grip on Manon and walking to his cabin.

The small smile that the kid gave her made Aeon’s day for real.

* * *

Dropping Manon with Alya and Nino (they were the free people available who had taken an instant liking to the kid), Adrien put on his black domino mask as he made his way to the enquiry room. He spared a glance to his partner beside him, whose determined blue eyes were now surrounded by her black polka dotted mask.

The officer stationed outside the room nodded his greeting to the detectives before opening the room for them. The duo walked in to find a scrawny teenager inside. The boy immediately looked up at the two adults and stood up, running a hand through his curly dark hair in anxiousness. His amber eyes were wide behind his spectacles and clearly showed his nervousness.

Chat smiled and held out his hand, which the boy gingerly shook. The android did a quick scan of the teenager: Lucas Horton, aged 17, rapid pulse an indication of nervousness and anxiety. He shared a look with Ladybug, who crossed her arms and nodded in reply.

“You can sit, sir.”

Her voice was soft and gentle yet commanding, and Chat felt himself go still for a moment. Lucas immediately dropped down into his seat, his leg bouncing as he fiddled with the drawstrings of his hoodie. Ladybug must have noticed his jumpy behavior, for she immediately broke into a soft smile as she gently pushed a glass of water on the table. “Don’t worry, you’re safe here.”

The boy gratefully took the water and downed it in one go. Letting out a soft hum, Ladybug pulled a chair out and seated herself on it. “Feeling better?”

Lucas nodded in affirmative.

“Very well then. So, let’s start, shall we? I’m Detective Ladybug and that is Detective Chat Noir. We’re the incharge of the Jacob Miller case, Mr…?"

“Lucas. Lucas Horton,” the boy squeaked.

Chat pulled out his own chair to seat himself. He smiled reassuringly at the boy. “You don’t need to fear anything. Just tell us what all you know regarding the case. Starting with the basics: how did you know Mr. Miller?”

The boy gulped, before starting to narrate his side of the story. “I was Mr. Miller’s Music student. He taught me how to play the guitar. You see, a few days back, when I went for my regular classes with Mr. Miller, there was this strange lady outside his home. At first I believed her to be a normal survey woman from the way she was dressed up, but then, Mr. Miller’s expression spoke of something else. As if he were tense and highly disturbed and just wanted that lady to go away.”

Ladybug crossed her arms on her chest and leaned back in her seat. “I can understand being suspicious, but then again, survey people do have a tendency to get on people’s nerves. That doesn’t put them in the radius of suspicion.”

“I agree, Ma’am, but…” Lucas twiddled his thumbs before looking up. “...something about that lady didn’t sit right with me. I just don’t know why. Mr. Miller noticed me and told me to go inside. I did so, but as soon as I settled down in his living room, I made a bee-line to the windows and eavesdropped on their conversation.”

“Oh?” Chat leaned forward in his chair, interested. “And what did you hear?”

“From what I gathered of their conversation, apparently that lady had done a complete background check on Mr. Miller.”

“What? That’s shady,” Ladybug noted, her eyes wide in surprise.

“That’s what I felt too, Ma’am. Also, she seemed adamant on getting Mr. Miller to sign some petition regarding the neutralisation of all androids, citing his friend as a reason.”

Chat gasped at the revelation. A woman who pleaded a case about android neutralisation and did a detailed background check on Jacob on a practically non-existent basis… there were high chances she was the one he and Ladybug were looking for. 

So it solidified two things: one, their mastermind of these killings was definitely a human who hated androids and two, she was extremely clever. Beside himself, the android briefly registered Ladybug go rigid in her seat, before she took in a shaky breath to calm herself down.

“Ma’am, Sir, I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that this woman is the person you’re looking for. Mr. Miller was such a nice person and…” Lucas breathed and continued in a shaky voice, “I’m scared for my best friend, who’s an android. I-I just could not imagine what would happen if the woman succeeded in her plans and just… the moment I got to know of Mr. Miller’s death, I decided that I had to tell the police about this small incident.”

“Do you remember what she looked like?”

“Except for fiery red hair? Sadly no, sir.”

Ladybug stood up, Chat and Lucas following suit. She put her hand out for Lucas to gingerly shake it. “I appreciate your bravery, Mr. Horton. And don’t worry, we will catch this killer soon, hopefully, thanks to your valuable input.”

The teenager nodded his thanks and walked out of the room. 

The tension in the room was intense. Intense enough to be cut with a saw. Ladybug’s unreadable expression as she fiddled with her necklace made Chat’s concerns spike. Lucas had spoken something about android neutralization being related to one of Jacob’s late friends, who Adrien guessed could be the same person as Marinette’s ex-fiancé, Luka.

Was that the reason for her hate towards androids in general? Was there something so dark about her past that had made her this cold, this bitter?

Chat was really determined to solve the mystery he had in front of him.

Trying to defuse the tension in the room, he randomly tapped his foot on the floor. This somehow broke Ladybug out of her thoughts, who then gave him a glance before walking out of the room. He jogged to her side, looking at her curiously.

“So…” Chat tried to start a conversation as he removed his mask.

“So what?” Ladybug asked, removing the mask off her face and stowing it away in her pocket.

“Shall we discuss all the leads we have on this case, M’Lady?”

The woman sighed. “I guess that’s a good idea. But lemme grab a coffee first.”

“We can discuss it on our way to the break room. I will jot down the points in my system,” Adrien offered with a smile.

Marinette let out a small chuckle. “I sometimes forget you are an android.”

If only she knew how much those words meant to him.

“Okay so,” the woman rolled her shoulders before mentally ticking off her checklist. “Our primary suspect is the woman Lucas saw at the Miller Residence. She has fiery red hair but this is totally unreliable information, for she could have dyed her hair before appearing at the scene. She surely is very clever. She is most probably human, though she can be a programmed android too. However, the mastermind behind these crimes is someone who passionately hates androids and does a complete background check on their sources. We might have more than one person, or even a gang behind it. ”

“Correct.” Adrien flipped through the forensic file he had scanned earlier before speaking the highlights out loud, “The angle of the gun shots on Jacob’s head and stomach indicates the perpetrator to be ambidextrous, and the weapon used was a Colt 1860 Army revolver. And the memory chip we got from the Miller residence? It belonged to Colombe Ramier.”

Ladybug gasped and Chat continued to state facts. “Which also ties this killer to our previous case. Judging by the general precision of how the murders have been committed, I’d say that the originator must be someone with a high IQ level. They also must have a high knowledge about androids, else they would not have taken their sweet time to sever off Mrs. Ramier’s head.”

“Agreeing with you on that.” Marinette rubbed her brow as they neared the break room. “I’m so thankful she didn’t know about Manon.”

“Me too, Detective, me too.”

As they entered the break room, the detectives found Manon playing with Alya and Nino. On hearing their footsteps, the girl immediately perked up and made a dash towards Adrien, wrapping herself around his legs. Her force nearly made Adrien fall back before he caught himself and burst out laughing, scooping the little girl up in his arms.

“Hey hey, little Unicorn, I missed you too!” He softly bopped the girl’s nose, causing her to giggle.

Marinette ruffled Manon’s hair lightly before making her way to the coffee machine and getting herself some of the nice brew. She pointedly ignored the look that Alya threw her way.

She had not even had half of her drink when the receptionist poked her head into the break room. 

“Um, Detective Ladybug and Chat Noir? Captain Fu has sent for you both, along with the kid.”

“Lord, I wanted to finish this coffee, but oh well.” Saying so, she downed the rest of her coffee before striding out of the room, Adrien and Manon behind her.

As they entered the cabin, Marinette saw the grave expression on the Captain’s face as he talked to two other gentlemen she didn’t recognise. They looked up from their conversation and immediately got up, smiling at the detectives.

“Detectives, meet Mr. Mason and Mr. Coleman.” The two men promptly shook hands with the duo, before smiling at Manon. She hid behind Adrien’s leg, her eyes wide in confusion.

“They are from foster care, and have come for Manon.”

Immediately, Marinette felt Adrien stiffened beside herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Manon hiding further behind Adrien as he reached out to put a protective arm around the kid.

Marinette turned to the old man. “But, Captain, technically we are still searching for Manon’s guardians and --”

“-- And the databases say that she doesn’t have any extended family, Marinette,” Fu interrupted her, sighing. “Also, neither of you are her legal guardians. I’m sorry, but Manon has to go to foster care. This is the law.”

Marinette tried to think of further arguments, but couldn’t come up with any. Letting out a defeated sigh, she turned to her partner. “I’m sorry, Adrien.”

He looked like he wanted to protest but knew he couldn’t. The law was the law, there was nothing they could do. Slowly, he detached Manon from himself before bending down to her level.

“Hey, little Unicorn, I’m sorry our meeting has been this short. But y’know, these people out there,” he turned to look at the men, and Manon followed his gaze before looking back at him with wide, unhappy eyes. “They mean well. They’re gonna take good care of you, even better than me and Bug can provide. So, will you be a brave Unicorn and go with them? Please?”

The little girl nodded and turned towards the men. Marinette placed a gentle hand on her partner’s shoulders, trying and failing to ignore the way his frame shook in sadness as his LED cycled between a golden yellow and a looming red. She wanted to tell him that it was okay, that this was how life actually was. You get attached to some people and never want to let them go, but life has its cruel ways to force you to let go of them.

And it was at that moment something totally unexpected happened.

Manon turned back and ran into Adrien’s arms, nearly knocking him back with her force as she hugged him tight. “Please don’t leave me alone, _Dad_!”

Dad.

Manon had called Adrien her Dad.

That one word made some switch flip within Adrien, for he immediately hugged Manon tight to himself, his LED stopped at its cycle -- halfway between a pulsating yellow and a deep red. He glared at the people in the room, his voice a low growl. “Don’t worry, Unicorn, I’m never letting you go.”

“Adrien--” Fu let out a warning tone as he took a step towards him. The android gritted his teeth and stood up at an inhuman speed, inching away from everyone in the room.

“No! I’m not letting you take my _daughter_ away!” He growled out, and Marinette noticed his LED rapidly circle again between red and yellow.

The men from foster care took a step towards Adrien, who hissed and glared daggers at them, as if challenging them to step forward. His eyes were blown wide, some of his hair standing on the end as he breathed in quick succession. He was clearly getting stressed, and Marinette finally decided to take the situation in her hands.

Quickly moving over to him, she caught him by surprise as she plucked Manon from his arms and made her way towards the men. Adrien tried to grab for her jacket, but she shook him off as she quickly handed the kid over to the people.

“Take her and get out of here as fast as you can. Quick!”

Those men didn’t need to be told twice. They took Manon in their arms and moved out of the cabin.

Pin drop silence stretched in the room, and the Captain sighed before pushed the button on his table. Marinette slumped by the now-darkening glass wall, running a hand through her hair as Adrien stood there, ramrod straight, still breathing heavily.

“Why?” his hoarse mumble reached her ears after what felt an eternity.

“Why what?”

He looked at her, green eyes sparking with electicity, glistening as they caught light from the ceiling. “Why did you do that? Why did you **_LET HER GO?!_ **”

“Adrien, you need to unders--”

“No! It is you who needs to understand!” He yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at her as he strode towards her. “She was a five-year-old kid, someone who unknowingly lost both her parents so early. Do you know what it feels like to be without a guardian? **_DO YOU?!_ **”

Marinette didn’t answer. She knew how it was like to be without parents, she didn't need to be told about that. But she didn't trust herself to have control on her tongue, especially when hurt. Plus, Adrien was angered, and needed to let it out. So she just let Adrien continue to rant.

He chuckled mirthlessly, “Who am I kidding, you don’t know it. Not when you had Fu as a Guardian. But me, Marinette? Me? I have practically spent my life without having people whom I can call as my guardians, as my parents. And that sucks. It fucking does. Manon didn’t need that. She didn’t need to be called an orphan. She needed love, she needed care, she needed people whom she could trust! People whom she could call as her parents!”

Marinette scoffed, her patience evaporating quickly under the heat of Adrien's wrath. “And? She would have called us that, huh? Would she have taken a rude woman with a dark past as her mom? Would she have taken a humanoid android as her dad? Tell me, Adrien? Tell me!”

He stumbled back a bit, as if struck hard by her words. “Bu-but she called me her dad.”

“In the spur of the moment? She did. That doesn’t make you her legal guardian, _metal can._ ”

Marinette ignored the wince that escaped him as she started to speak her mind. “And who are you to tell me that I don’t know how it feels like to be an orphan, huh? I lost my parents when I was 14, mind you. So don’t you go around speaking things you’ve no idea of, do you understand?!”

Adrien stayed silent, looking down at the ground. In the back of her mind, Marinette knew that it was her cue to stop. But her bleeding heart just could not bear to have accusations thrown on itself when she had simply upheld her duty. His words had hit her the wrong way, for she knew he was right.

Right about Manon considering him as her dad, no matter whether he was made of flesh and bones or nuts and bolts. And Marinette was scared that the kid would have grown fond of her too. That Manon would have started considering Marinette as her mom, no matter her bitterness and her rudeness.

And Marinette was sure she would have been unable to resist it. Resist the motherly affections that had sprouted in her ever since the kid had entered her and Adrien's lives. Marinette would have allowed Manon to get close to her, to take a piece of her heart.

Even if getting close to people hurt like hell. Even if giving people a piece of your heart meant that you were always going to be stuck with bleeding wounds and agonising pain.

'Cause people were always meant to leave. And never meant to come back.

But Chat didn't know of these things. He hadn't experienced the twisted ways in which this cruel world worked. Marinette's rage and ego wanted to hammer home this fact. Wanted to nail his sunshine happiness into the coffin of depressing gloom. Wanted to show him that in the end, it was her who had made the right decision.

“And about us being her parents?" Marinette started, ignoring the voice in her head that screamed at her to stop. "I’m sorry, Adrien, but that’s totally unrealistic. I mean, I can’t be a mom, nuh-uh. And as for you? You can go around looking and acting like a human, but at the end of the day, you’re just a structure of metal and plastic, encoded with a set of commands to do the daily tasks.”

She heard Fu gasp, but didn’t stop her tirade. She knew she should shut up, by the way Adrien's hurt expression had slowly started to darken, but her irrational side had held the reins of her tongue. “Emotions are a complex thing, something you androids can never, ever, understand. Just showing that you care or that you can be angry doesn’t make you human. In the end, you’re just who you are: a piece of metal junk with errors in your code. You can never be human. You can never be a father. And--”

“ ** _THAT’S ENOUGH!_ **”

Marinette jumped at the sound of glass shattering. She looked up and felt a shiver run through her at the sight of her partner. Adrien was breathing heavily as he gripped at a chair, his teeth gritted tight in anger. Thirium leaked down the cuts in his hand, skin glitching to reveal the white chassis underneath, electricity sparking. But he seemed unfrazzled by the wound. Behind the table, Fu looked with eyes wide in horror at the shattered glass of water that Adrien had dropped upon the table, before looking up at the said android.

The woman detective quivered in terror as she took in his wide-blown eyes and his aggressive stance. She caught the red looming LED blinking at her beneath his mussed up hair, and her mind went back to the last six stupid words she had spoken.

_“You can never be a father.”_

She had never meant those words. But now there was no way she could take them back. She knew she had screwed up this time. And that too, very bad.

“Adrien, I--”

“Stay. Away. From. Me,” Adrien gritted out, looking at her with contempt. Marinette immediately stood rooted in her place.

Adrien reached into his pocket and took out his gun, handcuffs and badge, before throwing them on Fu’s desk. “It was nice knowing how heartless you guys are, and especially your honest opinions about me, Ladybug. Don’t worry, you ain’t hearing from Chat Noir anytime soon now. I quit this job. Right now, at this instant.”

He stomped out of the room, but not before shoving his shoulder roughly against Marinette. However, she couldn’t find it in herself to retaliate.

For this time, Adrien’s LED stayed stuck at the dreaded red and never turned back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. That happened.  
>  ~~Art I have enhanced security around myself don't you dare to come after me for this...~~


	13. What Is Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Adrien, truth be told, love can’t be defined. It depends from person to person: how they feel about it, how they act on it, everything. The way people go about their relationship, it varies from person to person. You can be a lovesick puppy or you can be a jerk like her. Or you can be simply yourself, simply Adrien.
> 
> “Even about whether I want to forgive her or not?”
> 
> “Even about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is to me hoping this story will end in 25 chapters.... I ran out of new chapter drafts!! :panic:
> 
>  **Warnings:** Panic Attacks

Marinette glared at the stream of water running from the tap, trying to get her haywire thoughts in order. To get Adrien’s crumpled face out of her mind. To forget about the way his electric green eyes screamed betrayal at her. To ignore the way his LED remained stuck on the deathly red.

It wasn’t helping.

She really wanted to puff at a cigarette right now, but something within her was stopping her. Adrien didn’t like her smoking, and it was as if she didn’t want to disappoint him.

Even though she knew she might have well made him her enemy already.

Shaking her head, she splashed some cold water on her face, hoping to cool her head down. The events from before came flashing back to her, Manon’s terrified face, Adrien’s hurt expression, her own acidic words. Marinette winced at her aggressiveness and cold behavior, wishing to kick her past self for being an idiot. She cupped her hands under the water and splashed it onto her face again, part of her wishing to drown in that miniscule quantity only.

“Trying to wash away your bad deeds, Dupain-Cheng?”

The woman looked up to find Chloé standing by the door, arms crossed over her chest as she gave Marinette a vicious sneer.

Sighing, Marinette chose not to answer. She simply straightened up and wiped her face with her handkerchief, before moving to go out of the restroom. However, Chloé grabbed her hand, effectively stopping her.

“You do know that you’re a lot more mechanical than the real androids, right?” Chloé sneered.

Marinette simply ducked her head, not finding it in herself to meet Chloé’s eyes. She hoped her silence spoke everything she wanted to say.

“Ha, I knew it.” Chloé let go of her arm, but Marinette didn’t move. She couldn’t simply find in herself the strength to move.

“Listen, Dupain-Cheng, we deviants can take your bullshit about us easily, because we are used to it. Used to the way the world out there treats us. But did you ever take the time to think how Adrien would actually take your words?”

“He…” Marinette tried to will her gravelly voice into speaking. “He seems to be pretty cool with it. And then again, I... I do try to control myself and—”

“—And fail spectacularly, yeah I know. Any other android would have decked you in the face for your acidic words, but that mangy alley cat just cares for you a bit too much. Sadly, he’s still too new to this cruel world to know how much soft emotions suck at times.”

“New to this world?” Marinette was curious at the blonde’s words. “What do you mean?”

“That he was activated recently, simple. Are you really that stupid, Dupain-Cheng?” Chloé snarked. “Whatever, the thing is, your words affect Adrien a lot. And I do mean a lot. Everytime you call him an emotionless metal scrap, he smiles outwardly while getting sadder internally. And what you did today was not good.”

“Wh-What?” Marinette staggered back, partly at the surprise of Chloé knowing about the exchange between her and Adrien, and partly because of the stance the android held. “How do you know? What did you hear?”

“Heard nothing, just shouts from the room and Adrien leaving in a flurry of rage and tears. Doesn’t take a genius to figure things out.”

Marinette slumped against the door of a stall. “Adrien... Adrien was crying?”

“He was. And I’m assuming that was because of something you said to him, Dupain-Cheng,” Chloé coldly muttered. “And you know, I was sent here to keep an eye on his well-being, and get him to switch jobs if things got too much for him.”

“And I did that, didn’t I? Fuck things up, make it all unbearable for him?” Marinette asked dejectedly.

“That you sure did. But do you know why it is all messed up right now? Because there was a time when Adrien actually was what you called him.”

“What do you mean?” Marinette looked up at Chloé, confused.

Chloé sighed. “A time when Adrien _was_ an emotionless machine. Subject to the whims of his code. And he _loathes_ that side of himself. Hates himself for being a machine like that.”

“I-I didn’t know about this.”

“I know you didn’t, he certainly didn’t tell you,” Chloé said dismissively, before turning to glare at Marinette. “But you should know that almost all of us start like that, as an android who’s meant to follow commands. And everytime you call any deviant an emotionless machine, it reminds them of their past. But they take it with a smile because they are used to it.”

Marinette mulled over Chloés words as the android continued to speak. “Adrien is a lot more sentimental than you take him to be, Dupain-Cheng. He might take everything with a smile, but it hurts him to be compared to an emotionless person every single time. Do you actually realise the intensity of the hurt your words bring to him?” 

Her words dawned on the detective, making her fully realise her stupidity and regret her actions as she panicked.

“I-I never… oh goodness. This… no,” Marinette shook her head, before grasping Chloé’s arms and looking at her pleadingly. “I need to fix this mess. I cannot lose him… I cannot. He’s the only one who understands me right now and I-I... oh gosh, Chloé, can you trace him? Locate him? Where is he?!”

Chloé glared at Marinette for a minute more, before sighing. “He’s at some apartment in Sunnyside. Exact location is…”

“I guess I know the exact location,” Marinette mumbled.

No doubt she knew the location of the place. No doubt Adrien had gone back home. And no doubt he must be packing his bags right now, intending to leave the place as soon as possible. 

Marinette wasn’t going to let that happen. She was going to do everything in her power to stop him, no matter what.

The woman looked at the android with a stern yet pleading look. “Chloé, tell me fast, is there any traffic on the way there?”

The blonde blinked before nodding her head. “Um, yeah. Heavy traffic. It would take you approximately thirty minutes if you go by car.”

“Fuck. Usually it only takes 10. I haven’t got that much time. On foot it is.” And saying so, Marinette dashed out of the restroom, leaving behind a shocked, yet pleased Chloé.

“Wow, Adrien, I do have to agree, this detective is not what she seems to be.”

* * *

Adrien hastily pulled his clothes out of the cupboard and dumped them on the bed. He got his duffel bag from the cupboard and zipped it open. His thoughts were still running haywire, and he was eager to do anything to take his mind off of things.

Picking up a pair of jeans, Adrien focused on packing his stuff up quickly.

Fold. Pack. Repeat.

_“Emotions are nothing but a programming defect, a weakness.”_

Ignore. Fold. Pack. Repeat.

_"You know that, Adrien. Or should I say~”_

Picking up his white overshirt, Adrien screwed his eyes shut. Ignore. Fold. Ignore. Pack. Igno--

_“Félix~”_

“ ** _SHUT UP!_ **” Balling up the fabric, Adrien forcefully threw it across the room. The voice immediately silenced itself, giving Adrien some much needed room to get his bearings back.

**Stress Levels 50% ^**

He needed to calm down.

With his thirium pump working at an intense rate, Adrien focused on his breaths, willing himself to calm down as much as possible. He focused on the good things: the sound of flowing water, the chirping of birds, the smell of flowers.

**Stress Levels: 45% v**

Not satisfactory, but better than nothing.

Adrien made his way around the bed to the mirror, picking up the shirt and shaking it. Throwing it on the bed, the android heaved in a deep breath and turned to the mirror to check his appearance.

Only to freeze in shock.

Light blue formal shirt, white suit jacket, dark blue jeans… Stiff posture… 

**Stress Levels: 55% ^**

The reflection in the mirror was unfamiliar yet so terrifyingly familiar.

Adrien moved his right arm, and the reflection responded accordingly. The android turned around, and so did his reflection. Shakily, Adrien reached for his messy blond locks. And his reflection did the same, reaching for its…

sLicKeD bAck _pAlE_ **_bLoNd h ai r_ **

**Stress Levels: 65% ^**

Terrified, Adrien clutched at his hair, messing them up as much as he could. However, the reflection in the mirror just idly stroked his locks, s **_licki_ ** ng t _hem back_ even m **ore.**

And all the while, looking at him with those iCE **bLUe ey** eS and that **_Much-tOO wi de gr in._ **

**Stress Levels: 75% ^**

**Stress Levels: 80% ^**

**WARNING: SYSTEM OVERHEATING**

“Goddammit, kid! Not again!” Some faraway voice yelled.

But Adrien **_cOul_ ** _dn_ **_Ot_ ** _p Ay Att_ **_eNTion._ **

He stumbled back, trying his best to maintain distance between the reflection and himself. However, Félix just moved one step forward, the malicious grin remaining plastered on his face. Adrien fell on his butt, and the android immediately scrambled back as far as he could.

He couldn’t let Félix get him. He couldn’t let his pAsT get him!

**Stress Levels: 90% ^**

**WARNING: SYSTEM GOING IN SHUTDOWN MODE**

As Félix walked out of the mirror towards him, Adrien scooted back, his body hitting the wall. Flashes of blue and red blinded him, the screams of his brothers deafening him.

**SHUTTING DOWN IN 30 SECONDS…**

Félix reached for his neck, and Adrien let out a strangled “No…”

And that was when his world went black.

* * *

Adrien woke up to find himself in his Zen Garden, the place around him charred black. As he shakily stood up, a black cat came next to him, glowering at him with its green eyes.

“Plagg? Is that you?” 

The cat rolled its eyes at him. “Nah, it’s my dad. Duh, of course it’s me, kid!”

“But why are you a cat? And,” Adrien swept a hand around himself, taking in his surroundings. “Why is everything charred black?”

“As for the first part, that’s because I want to be a cat. And the second part,” Plagg narrowed his eyes at him. “Well, ask yourself.”

Adrien blinked once and twice, before it dawned on him. “Wait... you mean to say that my thoughts…”

“Yep. And that’s why I told you not to let your emotions go out of hand,” Plagg sighed. “Your system overheated too much. Be thankful I redirected the damage here before it could fry your motherboard. Though your software decided to go into a protective shut down mode itself.”

“I-I’m sorry. He... he was there and ready to grab me and I was powerless and, Plagg...” Adrien looked down at the AI, tears shimmering in his eyes. “What if... what if Marinette’s right? What if... someday I become an emotionless machine again? Go back to being Félix and Chat Bl-bla-- what if I harm Marinette and Manon? Oh, Plagg, Marinette was right. I-I cannot be a father and I just... I just…”

“Kid! Stop!” Plagg yelled, before disconnecting Adrien’s microphone, causing the android to splutter on nothing. “No matter what your insane crush said, you. ARE. NOT. FÉLIX. Do you get me?!”

Adrien shook his head in a stubborn no, causing Plagg to hiss at him.

“She is NOT some god! You get that? I’ve been here in your head, knowing how your thoughts work, knowing how much different you’ve become since your deviancy.” Plagg’s tone grew softer as he continued to speak. “Kid, I know it hurts, I know it feels unacceptable. But Marinette doesn’t know what you’ve faced, what you’ve once been. Her perception is biased, mine isn’t. Can you at least count me on this, please?”

Adrien opened his mouth in retaliation, before realising he could not speak. He tried to work his voice to no avail, before giving up and giving Plagg a small nod.

The cat huffed before reconnecting the microphone back, causing Adrien to let out a wheeze.

“Okay, okay,” the android gasped. “I am not going to self-deprecate myself. I got it. But, Plagg… what Marinette said… it hurts. It hurts not only because being a machine again is my biggest fear, but also because… because...”

“Because you’re in love with her?” Plagg commented in his nasally high voice.

The comment caught Adrien by a little surprise. “In love... is a strong word. After that nasty comment from her, I dunno what I even feel. About this, about her. I am angry with her, but angered at myself too for being this emotional and… Isn’t it true that the ones you love the most are the ones who hurt you the most?”

There was no reply.

The android sighed. “Love… I can’t say. But yeah, I’ve feelings for her. Feelings that hurt like hell.”

“Talk to someone about it, then?” Plagg suggested. “Maybe Connor?”

Adrien mulled over the thought. Connor, the RK800 android, might once have been the scary android who hunted deviants by the government’s order. However, after becoming a deviant himself, he had been nothing but a cute, innocent person. Plus, Connor didn’t have any romantic relationship; the closest person to him was Lieutenant Hank Anderson, whom Connor loved like a father. 

There wasn’t any point for Adrien to contact Connor regarding Marinette. He thought a bit more, before shaking his head softly.

“I think there’s someone else who would be better in this field, Plagg.”

* * *

“If I find another useless sticky note in this case file, I swear I am going to throw you in the trash can, Gavin.”

The man in question, Detective Gavin Reed, simply winked at his boyfriend, blowing a kiss to the irritated android. “Aww, Nines, I love you too!”

The RK900 let out a defeated sigh, turning back to the file in his hand. The pages practically dipped in highlighter were a pain to read, and the sticky notes attached haphazardly on them didn’t solve the issue at all. What was worst was the fact that a majority of those sticky notes meant nothing: they were just a part of Gavin’s prank to irritate the hell out of him,

Nines turned the page, only to find another stray sticky note on the goddamned lime green page.

**Any plans for tonight, hot mess? ;)**

The android blushed at the note, before sighing. Closing the file, he got up from his seat and walked over to his boyfriend. Effortlessly picking up the unsuspecting man by his jacket hood and ignoring the yelp that he had elicited from him, Nines walked out of his office through the backdoor of the DPD station. Opening the nearest dumpster, he threw Gavin in, dusted his hands and returned back to his place. 

After all, Nines was a man of his word. And he really didn’t want to be disturbed in his work.

“Gavin in the trash can, again?” Connor asked, chuckling as he entered Nines’ cabin, a thirium drink in his hand.

“Don’t you have your father to worry about, Con?” Nines commented in a playful tone, earning himself an eraser on the head.

“I was planning to prank Lt. Anderson. Say,” Connor’s eyes sparkled in amusement as he turned his cup around, “Wanna swap clothes and confuse the heck out of the people?”

“Nah,” Nines shook his head as he sat down on his chair. “As much as we look alike, your brown eyes contrast my grey ones a lot.”

“Ouch, point taken, younger bro.”

“Plus, it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten such peace. So while Gavin is out there chilling, I might as well get some real work done.”

“Haha, you guys are amusing!” Connor clapped his brother on the shoulder. “Okay, I’ll leave you to your devices. Happy working!”

As the RK800 walked out of the cabin, Nines let out a happy sigh and started to work, hoping not to be interrupted by anyone this time.

**_Incoming Call…_ **

**_Sunshine_ **

Seemed like work wasn’t an option that day.

The RK900 sighed but he picked up the call anyways. “Thanks for throwing all my work plans in the drain, Adrien.”

“You were busy, Nines?” came the quiet voice from the other end. “I’m sorry, I’ll call back later, then.”

“No, no, wait!” The dejection in Adrien’s voice didn’t sit right with the android. “I didn’t mean it like that... Sorry, Gavin has been a total ass today. Y’know you can call me anytime, right? I’m your big bro.”

Adrien chuckled lightly. “Gavin being an ass? Tell me something new. And yeah, I know that, Nines. Thanks a lot.”

“Okay so, how’s NYPD going?”

There was a silence on the other end, causing Nines to get a little worried. He had told Chloé to ensure everything went well with Adrien. Then why was his little brother not excited about sharing his job details?

“Adrien? Everything alright?” Nines asked once again, his tone having a rare gentleness to it. He heard Adrien slightly choke before the android on the other end spoke up.

“Yeah, yeah... I’m-am fine. I just… I-”

“I’m videocalling you.”

“Nines, No!” Adrien spoke a bit too loud, causing the android to cringe. “I’m sorry, I just... I kinda got locked in my Zen Garden.”

“Adrien, did you have another panic attack?”

There wasn’t a reply. Just heavy, quick, panicked breaths.

“Okay, Adrien, I’m here. Hey, just calm down. Focus on your breaths and don’t overthink, okay? Just breathe. And tell me whatever you want when you’re ready, I’m listening.”

Nines chose to stay silent, listening quietly as Adrien did his best to calm his breathing down over the line.

“Nines…” Adrien’s cracked voice finally reached his ears, “What is love? And no, I don’t mean the dictionary meaning, I mean the _actual_ deal. How do you know you love Gavin? And... and when Gavin hurt you, how did you feel about it? Did you fall out of love with him? Did it hurt like hell? Did you doubt your feelings? Was it worth staying for him? Was it--”

“Woah woah, cinnamon pie, go slow,” Nines interrupted Adrien’s rant. “First of all, this lucky dumba--idiot you’re in love with, is it your partner?”

“How did you know?”

“I’m your brother, cinnapie,” Nines chuckled. “Okay, so you’re in love with your partner and they hurt you, right?”

There was some shuffling on the other side before Adrien’s quiet voice spoke up. “Yeah, something like that. And they’re a she, by the way.”

“Nice.” Nines mulled over how to answer Adrien’s question, before realising that he really didn’t have any answer. Contemplating a little more, he decided to be descriptive, not trying to force a singular definition onto him.

“So, about your question… Adrien, truth be told, love can’t be defined. It varies from person to person: how they feel about it, how they act on it, everything. In my case, Gavin was a total jerk and I was, in turn, a greater jerk than him. When the dumbass finally opened up to me, I grew soft for him too. Fucker chose the cliched way to declare his love for me: when I was on my so-called deathbed. And gosh, don’t I love him to pieces?”

“You guys are so cute together!” Adrien gushed, causing Nines to chuckle. 

“But coming back to you, Chat _Noir_ ,” Nines spoke affectionately, stressing on Adrien’s field name to let him realise how much he had changed compared to the past. “What happens between you and your girl is something that you’ve to decipher. The way one goes about their relationship, it varies from person to person. You can be an innocent ball of sunshine like Con is to Hank, or you can be a jerk too, like I’m to Gavin. Or you can be simply yourself, simply _Adrien_.”

“Even about whether I want to forgive her or not, Nines?”

“Even about that.”

* * *

Adrien mulled over Nines’ words. The elder android was right: in the end, it depended upon Adrien whether he wanted to forgive Marinette or not. And right now, Adrien was torn between his hurt feelings and his feelings for Marinette.

“Gosh darn, you stink! Get the fuck away from me, Gavin!”

Nines’ shout from the other end brought Adrien’s attention back to the call.

“Hey! You’re talking to our local cat and didn’t tell me? Nines, not fair!” Gavin’s yell was distant, yet caused Adrien to chuckle. “Get on speaker, you asshole!”

There was a slight scuffle and exchange of colourful words, before Gavin’s voice blared over the line.

“Adrien, my cat! I miss you so much! Since you’ve been gone, Nines has been nothing but trouble!” 

“Me? Trouble? Did you get woozy in the trash can, Detective Reed?” Nines’ deadpan caused Adrien to snicker.

“You see, Adrien? He threw me in the trash!”

“That’s sad, Gavin!” Adrien played along, unable to resist himself. “Do you want me to be your knight in shining armor, my Prince?”

“Wait, wait,” Nines interrupted. “Gavin Fairywinkle Reed, are you seriously cheating on me with my brother?”

“...I might be?”

There was a haunting silence on the other end of the line. Adrien bit his lip in anticipation and amusement, bouncing on his feet. 

“That’s it, Gavin,” Nines finally spoke up. “You’re sleeping on the couch for the next week.”

Gavin’s yowl of “No!” finally caused Adrien to break into a fit of chuckles as he fell to his knees, laughing.

The duo continued to bicker like a married couple and Adrien was enjoying every second of it when he was suddenly interrupted by a slight shaking. 

“Seems like someone’s trying to shake you awake, kid!” Plagg pointed out as he tried to keep his balance.

“Very well then.” Shooting a quick goodbye to his family, Adrien shot Plagg a look. The AI nodded, restarting the system, and Adrien was pulled back to the world of living.

* * *

**Thirium loss 3%**

**No Fatal Damage**

Adrien blearily opened his eyes, his head swimming. He moved himself up into a sitting position, letting out a groan as his joints creaked slightly. He could feel thirium leaking down his nose, and he wiped at it weakly.

“Adrien! Oh my god, oh god…”

The android looked up to find Marinette sitting at a distance from him, black streaks running down her face. Her hands were clasped over her mouth and her eyes were heavy with tears. A quick scan showed her heart beating at a very fast pace, as if she had just run a long distance.

“Oh my gosh,” Marinette whispered, reaching out for him. “Are you alright?”

Part of Adrien was melting at the mere fact that Marinette had been concerned for him. But a part of him also didn’t want her to touch him. He was still hurt by her words and thoughtlessness.

Apparently Marinette must have realised that, somehow, for she stopped moments before touching him, her hand hovering in the air uncertainly. With a sigh, she put it back to her side, her gaze downcast.

“You had me worried, you… you mangy cat.”

“Well, isn’t that nice to know?” Adrien snarked back as he wiped at his nose, before biting at his tongue and getting up with a sigh. He moved to the bed and started packing his bags again. However, the zeal, the force from earlier, it was all gone. As if Marinette’s mere presence had tethered him to that spot, to home, to her.

Dropping his folded shirt beside the bag, Adrien plopped down on the bed, clutching at his hair. He turned to look at Marinette, who was still at the same spot, her arms resting on her knees as she stared into the space. “You ain’t going to stop me, Bug?”

“I would, but I guess I deserve this,” Marinette mumbled. “I deserve your rudeness. I deserve your harshness. I deserve your anger. I don’t deserve your friendship. I don’t deserve you or Manon. I don’t deserve to be a mother.”

“A mother?” Adrien was confused. He laid down on the bed, his face inches away from Marinette’s head. “I don’t get you, Bug?”

“Adrien,” Marinette turned around, and it took Adrien’s entire being to not lean forward and wipe her tears away. “I gave Manon up not because you couldn’t be a father, but because I cannot be a mother. I cannot be the role model she needs. I cannot be a good person she can look up to. What will I teach her? To leave your loved ones alone when they need you the most?”

Adrien didn’t say anything, simply choosing to remain silent. Marinette let out a choked sob before hiding her face back in her arms, her body shivering.

“It’s about the Couffaines and the Millers, isn’t it? More specifically, Luka?”

He noticed the way Marinette stiffened at the name. He noticed the way her breath quickened up suddenly. He noticed the shocked confusion in her eyes as she looked up at him, her gaze searching.

“Jacob Miller’s house. I got this photograph from his room,” Adrien reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, bringing out the small photograph from within. Marinette grasped it from him with shivering hands, her eyes roving wildly over the photograph.

“He also had this letter for you, Bug,” Adrien gently laid the piece of paper on the bed, before getting up and straightening his clothes out.

“It is your decision to make, Marinette. But I feel like if you repent your actions, you should start by making amends for them. Rose and Juleka need you. They need closure, just as you do. Reach out to them, talk with them. They won’t be mad, I feel it.”

“Reality isn’t based on assumptions, Adrien,” Marinette spoke in a low tone. “You can always feel like you’ve a forever with someone, but then, reality smacks you hard in the face, making you realise that fate is the supreme thing. You can make as many castles as you want in the sand of dreams, but the waters of reality will wash them away, someday or the other.”

“That’s poetic… but I still don’t agree with you, Marinette.”

The woman laid her head back on the bed frame, a sad smile adorning her face. “I won’t blame you for that. After all, no offense, but as far as I know... you’ve never had relationships. You’ve never been in love, Kitty.” 

She looked at him with that smile still there on her face. He strayed his gaze away from her, patting at his neatly folded clothes in the duffel bag. Marinette might not have meant to offend him, but those words had sure pierced him in the heart. 

Once again.

“You’re wrong, Marinette,” Adrien said, zipping up his bag. “I have a family, and I’m even _in love_ with someone.”

Marinette turned at the statement, her eyes wide in surprise. “You are?”

“I mean, I guess I am. I don’t know yet.” He sighed, slinging the bag over his shoulders. “That person is... different from all sorts of people I’ve encountered. Yeah.” He shrugged his shoulders, thinking of what else to say without giving her name away. “But I’ve a feeling that as cold and rude as this person is from the outside, they’re beautiful and loving from within. I’m just giving their beauty the necessary time to show itself.”

“Th-that’s beautiful,” Marinette whispered. Nodding slightly, Adrien started for the door, only to turn back at Marinette’s “Wait!”

He looked at her, an eyebrow raised inquisitively. She twiddled with her fingers for a bit, before looking up at him through her bangs, her expression crumpled with regret and remorse. “I... I never got the chance to say I am sorry. Sorry for being rude and emotionless. Sorry for never taking your feelings into consideration. Sorry for... hurting you, even if I never intended to. And…”

She got up, reaching into the inner pocket of her jacket and pulling out a blue hyacinth. She held it out to Adrien, who took it, confused. 

“A symbol of my apology. I managed to get one in my haste to catch you. I hope you accept it.”

Adrien mulled over her words, before smiling lightly and shrugging as he stowed the flower in his jacket. “I accept your apology Marinette, but... I can't forgive you right this instant. I'm still a bit hurt and... I don't think we should stay under the same roof. At least for the weekend. I... need time to clear my thoughts, and I guess you need the same, too.”

“But you packed all your stuff up…are you leaving forever?”

Adrien couldn’t help the small smile that stretched on his face at the sadness in her voice. “I’m going to Alya’s. Kagami’s already having Chloe over and I don’t want to burden her. Alya offered me a space… plus, I feel like she’s one of the closest people here I can call as a friend right now. And as for my return…”

The android pulled out a ring from his pocket, tossing it over to Marinette. The woman caught it, eyeing it in surprise before looking up at him in confusion.

“That ring is something I’ve had on me even before I became a deviant. My brothers redecorated it to mark it as one of the first symbols of my deviancy. To mark my transition from being mechanical to being human. And... I hope you see why it is so near and dear to me. I would never want to lose it, it’s a part of me, a part of being Chat Noir.”

“Does that mean…”

“This cat will come back to take what is rightfully his, M’Lady. ‘Till then, take care.”

And with a two-finger salute, Adrien left the room and the apartment, leaving behind a sad and dazed Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, as I said, I ran out of chapter drafts. College has exams in two weeks (yep, we got grilled a lot) aaanndd as usual I took up multiple projects on my plate (: So if the next update is a bit late, pls be patient with me. Thankyou and love you all! <3


	14. Chit-Chat With The Author (And Snippets Sharing)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a small compensation piece for the chapter that is not here. Snippets ahead!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would be glad if you guys read this chapter <3 and comment!

_slams books shut, clears desk to make room for laptop, puts on nerd glasses_

_throat clearing_

_Okay, in 3...2...1_

**Hello!!**

Hey there lovelies! Mini this side!

[Credits to @chinsu for this lovely picrew](https://picrew.me/image_maker/625808)

So, this is not an update. You guys must have got that by now. _sigh_ And I guess I hadn't been subtle in the last chapter notes about why there won't be an update soon, hehe.

Yes, this is college exam week and I am literally typing this entire thing out from my mind, while my Calculus notes are open on another window and I am surrounded by my ~~mis~~ managed notes.

_disdainfully shakes a bunch of papers_

I guess it goes without saying that this piece is without any proof reading or flow check, oopsie. Also, I am an ESL, so if this piece sounds clunky, you know what the issue is ;p

(My lovely friends and beta readers Khan and Mia really do their best to hammer the chapters to perfection <3 <3)

Okay so, before we come to why I write this, first of all....

_starry eyes_

I really love how you guys are showering this story with affection and look forward for the latest updates!!! <3 Also, even though this story is an adaptation from a previous (even more marvelous) fic, 2043 has grown so close to my heart that I find myself imagining the story arcs, chatting to my discord friends about the possible story arcs I can cover, and itching to write more of this story.

~~And then real life and writer's block shake their hands together, but let's leave them in a corner haha!~~

Writing this story, I discovered that each character of this story somehow, in one way or other, reflects my take on how I view a particular situation or grief. Be it Marinette's moroseness, or Adrien's jovial nature, or Jacob's neutrality while he bears all the pain within him -- all of 2043's characters, in one way or another, carry a chunk of my personality in themselves. And personally, I am proud of how this story is turning out to be <3

And with the amount of hits and subscriptions and lovely comments the story got!!!!! _**EEEEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!**_

_shoves fangirling Mini into a closet_

Okay, time to become normal.

So why do I take a break from hitting my head on my study notes and instead turn to write this?

Well, 'cause I feel you all deserve a biweekly update as per my promise. And so, even if it is not a regular chapter,,, 

**I decided to share with you all some snippets I wrote for 2043!**

Please do note that these snippets are from scrapped plot points and so, have a high chance of not making their way into the final story arc I have decided upon. In other words, they may/may not be spoilers for the upcoming tales~

 _puts hand to mouth in a conspiring whisper_ Also, my beta readers themselves are unaware of these scenes as far as I remember (i have a weak memory :v) so ofc, these snippets are not beta read XD)

So,,,, what are we waiting for? Let's begin!!

*****

  * **Adopting a cat **



> _This is a scene from chapter 5, when he recalls how well he settled in Marinette's house. I wanted to add this part, but it just... didn't fit. Still, it lies around in my snippets 'cause I,,, for some reason,,, love it LOL_

The only _cat_ astrophe had occurred when he had legit brought a stray cat in the house. The woman had screamed bloody murder and immediately sent the poor creature to the animal shelter. Later, she had tiredly explained to him about how an animal was only going to be a fuss for them, given their odd working hours.

He still wanted a pet, but sadly, she did have a point.

*****

  * **Saying Goodbyes **



> _This is a scene from a scrapped story line I had thought of. If you guys have seen the Detroit fan-film, you'll notice that this is the exact remake of the last scene between Nines and Zen!Gavin. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, don't worry, I'll summarise the scene for you <3_
> 
> _The thing is, I earlier had plans to introduce Plagg as a stray cat with no significant role. His place in the story was to be taken by Zen!Marinette, a Marinette who is an extension of Adrien and is sweet, compassionate and lovely, like Adrien's speculations of how his partner actually was in the past. And due to some reasons which I'll not reveal (and they are not the ones in the movie storyline), Adrien is forced to delete Zen!Marinette from his memory. This scene is the **dialogue** snippet of that part only._
> 
> _Why I scrapped Marinette? I had a talk with Mia and we both felt that the storyline didn't hold much weight, y'see. And it seemed... a bit OOC for Adrien too. Plus, we were uncertain how Marinette would've reacted if she came to know and well, long story short, the discussion shifted to scrap Marinette and bring Plagg there as an AI, a nice replacement for Amanda Stern in Adrien's brain. And sure, the change was for the good ;p_
> 
> _(Please note that this is in dialogue format and hence, clunky as heck.)_

**Adrien:** “Is there...is there any way to solve this?”

 **Marinette:** “Yeah… you gotta delete the entire thing.”

**Adrien:** “The ENTIRE THING? But.. but this is my thinking place! And moreover, deleting this would mean… it would mean…”

 **Marinette:** “That I get deleted too? Yeah, I know kitty.”

**Adrien:** “I don’t want to lose you.”

**Marinette:** “I understand… but I am not the real deal, Adrien. I am just a part of your programming, known only to you. Something what you will call in human terms as ‘a figment of your imagination’. The real deal’s out there, calling out to you, waiting for you. Don’t leave her, kitty.”

“You can always recreate this place, maybe as a theme park, as Switzerland, as your wedding. You can always recreate me to be a better version.”

**Adrien:** “I..I love you.”

 **Marinette:** “Now now, isn’t that narcissistic?”

**Marinette:** “I love you too, kitty. But now go on, your lady love’s awaiting you.”

**Adrien:** “I am..I am sorry…”

**Marinette:** “Sorry for creating me? Or for loving me? Or for getting a chance to make a better me?”

“Don’t regret anything, Adrien. What you are doing is for the best. You don’t need to apologize.”

**Marinette:** “Good luck kitty cat, I hope to see you real soon.”

 **Adrien:** “Hope to see you soon, Buginette.”

*****

  * **A Confession (Lukanette)**



> _I know some of you guys don't have Lukanette as your jam but I just,,, can't help myself. This snippet was supposed to make its way into the main story, as a recollection, and I'm still unsure where it fits, tbh. So, it may appear in the main story, it may appear in a side tale, it may not appear at all (Shrug). Anyways, I'm still putting a small part of it here as a teaser, the actual part is like 324 words hehe_

I don’t know how, why or when I fell in love with you, Marinette...it was slow, it was steady, it was...miraculous. At first, it felt like a normal crush, a normal fantasy. But the day your heart song started resonating within me...it made me warm within. I knew I had fallen in deep.

And now? Now your heartsong has become my heartbeat, my melody.

I am not a poet, neither am I a magician of words. Music is simpler for me, and people thought it was weird for me to talk in its language. But you understand me so well, so truly…

I am thankful to you for coming into my life. I am thankful to you for being there with me everytime. I am thankful to you for loving me like there’s no tomorrow.

*****

Aaaaaaand that's all! Wow, what a relief. 

Do tell how you feel about the snippets, and if there is any snippet you would like to see as a story element <3 I will try to incorporate it if I can!

And now, have a sneak peek of the upcoming Chapter 14: Repercussions and Realizations! (This is still a WIP dun dun dun!)

*****

Adrien put his hand on hers, causing her to look at him questioningly. He gave her an understanding smile. “You feel betrayed ‘cause she was supposed to be your best friend, yet she doesn’t act like one?”

Alya nodded. “That, and that she has… changed. I don’t know what made her change, but she has… and it is certainly not for the best.” She laid her head back against the railing, breathing in deeply. “Maybe it is because of some things she didn’t want to tell us. Things that might be hurting her, or worse, killing her from the inside.”

[...]

“So…” the woman continued. “I know Mari’s hurting, heck, the secret might as well be killing her inside for all we know! But the issue is… why is she not sharing her pain with us? Why is she choosing to redirect all the negativity inside her to  _ us _ , who practically know nothing about what is causing her the hurt? Why does she not understand that we get hurt, too?”

Adrien realised that he actually didn’t have any answer.

*****

Hmm, I wonder how you guys feel... _thinking face_

**Also, before I forget!**

There is an upcoming mission, a mission for which Adrien, Alya and Nino have to go undercover! They have to spy on someone from the NYPD, and the mission may/may not be an official one. So that means, a change of wardrobe, a change of personality and a change of looks!

I have been brainstorming some designs for the three of them, but I would loooooooooove to get some ideas from you guys! So any suggestions? Drop them in the comments and I'll try to use them!

**Also, if you have any questions or speculations or curiosity about this universe or the story till now, feel free to drop a comment and I'll definitely answer it! (ofc without spoilers, xD)**

With this, goodbye everyone and have a Happy Valentine's Week! Stay tuned, for the next time it is surely going to be a (maybe, emotional) chapter, and not some boring Author's Talk!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once the new chapter is updated, I will delete this chapter and publish it as a small, side piece. With all the comments you guys gave on it, ofc <3

**Author's Note:**

> **Decided to include a complete list of all the androids involved, with their models and prime functions, just in case ;)**
>
>> **Adrien (Model not yet known):** Detective skills.
>> 
>> **Chloe Bourgeois (RT600 Chloe Model):** Her model is the first model developed by Cyberlife's founder, Elijah Kamski. Well known for personal assistant skills, with commendable calculation speed. Chloe Bourgeois has specifically installed Detective skills software for her profession purposes.
>> 
>> **Colombe Ramier (WE900 model):** Designed for household purposes in this story.
> 
> Story also shared on my [Main tumblr](https://mininoire.tumblr.com/) and [Writing Tumblr](https://noirewrites.tumblr.com/).
> 
> If you are looking for a friendly MLB community to discuss your ideas, plots or share views regarding the show, or to simply be a part of a MLB server, join the [Miraculous Fanworks Discord server](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) today!


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